


Perierat et Inventus est

by AvaSparks



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: A/B/O, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Steve Rogers, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Love, M/M, Rimming, Stucky - Freeform, Top Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-21 04:55:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9532337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaSparks/pseuds/AvaSparks
Summary: How Alpha Bucky Barnes and Omega Steve Rogers came together and live together as they face yet another challenge after already having to face so many.





	1. Perierat et Inventus est

**Author's Note:**

> Story jumps from present to past often! It starts out with Bucky's POV, but moves on with third person in later chapters.

There’s something to say about getting attention whenever you walk out the door. Whether it’s the good kind of attention or not. In my case, it’s the good kind, thankfully. This isn’t arrogance, I’m not conceited or stuck up, but I must admit, I enjoy the stares and the smiles and the flailing once I pass by. Pheromone levels fly through the roof when I walk down a crowded street and I’d be lying if it didn’t give my testosterone a good boost. Omega’s blatantly stop and stare and some even whimper when I come too close. As much as I enjoy feeling like the Alpha of all Alpha’s, knowing others stare at me furiously when trying to get the attention of an Omega they’ve set their eyes on, I’m not interested in them. I’ve got Stevie, he’s always been the one. He’s my world, my everything; my Omega. Even back when we were kids, before we knew our orientation, we were inseparable.  
We were never worried about what would change when we’d turn sixteen, and when it finally did happen.. nothing changed. I was designated as an Alpha, Steve as Omega. We were so close, and we stayed that way; as friends. Though I knew somehow, since the moment we met, that I loved him. I was too young to understand in what way I loved him, but when I came to understand, when I got older, I knew. It took us years to get where we are. He didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that I was supposed to be above him; and truthfully, neither did I. Society tried to push all of these beliefs on us, that I was supposed to keep him in line, even if I hadn’t marked him as my own; that Steve should listen and not argue in any way against me. They didn’t understand our relationship, our friendship. They also didn’t understand that even if Steve was an Omega, he wasn’t one to be messed with. He wouldn’t stand down for anyone if he felt he needed to speak up, and he certainly wasn’t gonna let me tell him what to do. This caused us to be outcasts; we were spat on and laughed at, but we just didn’t care. As long as we had each other, we were good. Unfortunately, that changed. 

Nine years ago, 2007.

“Hey Buck, what’s up? You sounded stressed on the phone, I was worried-..” Steve stopped short as he closed the apartment door behind him. Bucky was seated at the kitchen table with his parents and a man in a suit that probably cost more than all the money Steve had ever made at any job. 

“What’s going on here?” Steve mumbled slowly, quietly upon seeing Bucky’s face. He was on the verge of exploding, out of anger or maybe despair. He was hard to read sometimes, when his Alpha instincts kicked in. 

“You must be Steve” the man in the suit spoke up. “Please, sit down” he motioned towards the empty chair stoically, not even a ghost of a smile on the man’s face. Bucky’s parents didn’t look at him, seemed like they didn’t dare to. With them both being beta’s and the man in the suit evidently an Alpha, that might’ve something to do with it. But it seemed as if they were just as distressed as Bucky was. 

“What’s going on?” Steve spoke up louder, ignoring the man’s gesture to take the empty chair. 

“Sit down, son” the man repeated, seemingly taking up more space in the room than necessary with his attitude. Steve couldn’t ignore his instincts, and hated himself for it, and obeyed. 

“Bucky?” Steve whispered, trying to catch his friend’s eyes, but he was eyeing the man in the suit angrily, his chest puffed out instantly and testosterone edged the room between the two. 

“Don’t talk to him like that” Bucky growled. “I don’t care who the fuck you are or who you work for, you don’t talk to him like that” 

“James-..”

“No, mom! I’m not gonna fucking sit here, and let him talk to Steve like that!” 

“It’s all right, ma’am. We’ll make sure to beat some sense into him” the man said, not showing any emotion to the statement what so ever. 

“What?” Steve looked from the man to Bucky, who still refused to look back at him, even though he defended him just a minute ago. 

“My name is Alexander Pierce, Steve. I’m here because James needs to learn about discipline. In my opinion, you do as well, but Omega’s aren’t allowed in the army” 

“The.. army? You’re shipping him off?!” he turned to Bucky’s parents, who still just sat there, quietly. 

“Steve” Bucky finally spoke up. “It’s okay, Stevie. This was bound to happen” 

“No, no, Bucky-.” Steve choked on a sob, tears suddenly started flowing as he tried to stand from his chair but his legs failed to support his -still- awkward teenage weight. He fell on his knees before his friend and cried, instantly breaking Bucky’s heart. 

“Y-you can’t l-leave me, y-you can’t” Steve sobbed, pressing his cheek against Bucky’s knee. 

“Steve, Stevie, listen..” Bucky slid off the chair, getting to his knees as well to look Steve in the eye. Even now he had a solid few inches on his best friend, though Steve’d finally grown out constant illness and the skinny boy he used to be. He was building up muscle and with a healthy diet -yeah, that was a solution, amazing- that he followed to the letter since three years now, he was growing. 

“No, Bucky! You can’t go. You can’t!” Steve lost it, he tried to fight Bucky’s embrace, tried to punch him, even. And Bucky let him, as long as he could get his arms around him for now, he’d let Steve, the best friend he ever had and the love of his life, punch and kick him all he wanted. Alpha or not, Omega or not, he didn’t care. 

“Stevie..” Bucky croaked out, the pheromones Steve excreted heightened his senses, an Omega in distress. He felt the dire urge to protect him, to make sure nothing could get to him, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Not anymore. He’d gotten himself in big trouble, it wasn’t his parents’ fault, really. They tried to stop it; but the neighbours were scandalised, others in their neighbourhood in Brooklyn too. An Alpha, who let himself be ‘bossed around’ by an Omega, at times. They didn’t understand, just like the rest of the world. They just didn’t understand. They didn’t understand that Bucky loved Steve so much, that he’d drop to his knees for him no matter what their orientation was, if it’d make Steve happy. 

“Bucky, I can be better, please. Please don’t let them take you from me” Steve begged as he finally stopped struggling against Bucky’s arms around him, and sank into his embrace. 

“You’re perfect, Stevie. Don’t you dare change for anyone, okay? Promise me” Bucky wrapped his arms tighter around him. “Promise me, Steve” 

Steve shook his head, “I’m the reason they’re taking you away, I’ll be better, please, don’t leave. I-..” he took a shuddering breath, “I love you, Bucky” 

That’s the exact moment Bucky’s heart shattered. He remembers little of what happened next. He thinks he answered Steve with ‘I love you too’, but the moment he did, he was ripped away from him by several men who he hadn’t even heard come in. His parents were crying, Steve was yelling for them to leave his Alpha alone; his Alpha.. That’s when he lost it. They were trying to take him away from his Omega, his Stevie. His instincts took over completely and he injured several soldiers as they dragged him out of the apartment. The last thing he does remember was the face of a lieutenant, a cruel face with an even crueler smile when he stabbed Bucky with a needle, sedating him so he couldn’t fight back. The cries of his Omega shook him to his core, all he heard after that was white noise and the fading cries coming from Steve, who kept on begging him to come back.

***

Present day, 2017. 

“So, this girl, why does she need protection?” 

Fury smirks at me from across the briefing room. He scoffs and shakes his head, rising to his full length as an Alpha. He’d be intimidating if we didn’t get along so well. 

“Because, this girl is the keeper of many secrets, Barnes. She worked for our government in deep shadow conditions, no one knows her except for all the right and wrong people” 

“Why doesn’t our dear government protect her then? Why private security?” I have to say, I’m genuinely confused by this assignment. The intel is scarce and unclear.  
\- Female  
\- Full name: classified  
\- Age 22 to 27, date of birth: classified  
\- Designation/orientation: classified  
\- Blood type: classified  
\- Rank: classified

Seriously. I’ve never seen so many questions answered with the goddamn word classified. And, really; age 22 to 27? Are you goddamn kidding me? The fuck am I supposed to think of that?

“Because the government doesn’t trust their own protection details with this. Too many things at stake, I’d assume. They’re hiring us because it’s what we do, it’s all we do. And we’re gonna do it as best we can, and better than they ever will” Fury answers, full of determination. 

“I see. But how am I supposed to protect her when I know nothing about her? And where is she supposed to go, anyway? It says here that it’s a four week job. After that? She doesn’t need to be protected anymore? The secrets disappear?” 

Fury shakes his head again. “You’re reading too much in to this, Barnes. This is the job, we’re just supposed to do it” 

I know that tone. The ‘Alpha’ tone, firm but friendly, though no room for any more arguments. 

“All right, Nick. When do we start?” 

Fury nods and looks pleased that there are no further questions. 

“Tomorrow, we have to pick the subject up at the capitol and bring her back to a safe house. I’ll send you the details later” 

I nod, still in thought over what the hell this is all about, but I don’t entertain the idea of finding out what this is all about. Fury knows, and that should be enough. I’m just here to do my job, and excel at it, and go back home to Steve. 

“Should I remind you of my week’s leave?” I get up from the other side of the table and throw Fury a glance. 

“No, it’s all taken care of, Barnes. I don’t want you anywhere near this place, or fire arms for that matter, when you’re in your damn rut” Fury looks mockingly pained when he mentions firearms, and I can’t help but roll my eyes at that. 

“Thanks, Nick. I’ll see you tomorrow” 

He waves me off with a smirk, “0800 sharp!” 

“Yeah, yeah” I grumble as I walk out the door. I am anything but a morning person. “Fucking great”

For once, all my paperwork is up to date and I just realised that there’s nothing left for me to do here. Maybe I can get home early.. I’ll have some time to show Stevie again what he means to me before I leave tomorrow morning. I’m pretty sure I wont be having a lot of time for him during this assignment. The file keeps haunting my mind as I leave the building to find my car. Surely I’ll be able to tell her designation once I see her, or rather said, smell her. However unconventional me and Steve are, the instincts are definitely there, and the senses no less. It just doesn’t sit right with me. 

Classified. Classified. Classified. 

What the fuck did this girl get herself into?

***

“Hey Stevie? You home?” 

I hardly push through the door and I’m already calling out to him. God, I’m so fucking whipped. 

“Buck? You’re home early” Steve walks into the hallway, wearing jeans and a -oh so very tight- black t-shirt. “Don’t tell me you got fired” he jokes as he wraps his arms around my waist and keens up for a kiss. We’re almost the same height, I only have a couple of inches on him but he makes himself somehow smaller in moments like these. I know it’s instinct, but it still hurts sometimes. He always wants to do better, when he’s the best I could ever wish for. 

“Why is that the first thing that comes to mind, babe?” I scoff at him after pulling away from his plush pink lips; I could kiss those lips all fuckin’ day. 

He smirks at me, that familiar defiant glint in his eyes makes my body heat up and my heart flutter in my chest. “I did not get fired, thank you. I have the afternoon off because I got all my work done and tomorrow we start a four week assignment” 

Steve’s smile drops. “Four weeks?” 

He hates it when I’m away, even if it’s only 24 hours. I’m pretty sure I wont be away for the full four weeks, but I don’t know how much time I’ll be able to spend with him. I hate it as much as he does. 

“I know, baby, I know” I whisper to him, trying to soothe him as I take his face between my palms and kiss him again. “I’m sorry, baby. But I had to take it, it pays extremely well and we could use some extra cash if we want to expand the back yard” 

“I’d rather have you than that back yard” Steve mutters, moping and sulking right in front of me, pushing his bottom lip out, giving me that look. 

“Oh, Stevie; don’t do this to me, baby.. I’ll do anything to make it better. Anything” 

Steve sighs, fucking dramaqueen. “Oh, I don’t know..” he drawls and looks up at me again with those sparkling blue eyes. God, the things I would do for my Omega. 

“I think I know..” 

The way he smiles at me tells me I hit the right spot there. The sadness is still visible and it breaks my heart to see him like this. He’s spent too many years smiling through his tears; smiling through how broken he was before we found each other again. I know, because I did it too. Though I didn’t smile like he did. I wasn’t strong like him, not by a long shot. He’s stronger than any and every Alpha I’ve ever met; an Omega with the strength and versatility of a dozen Alpha’s. And an even bigger heart. 

“C’mon, Stevie; let your Alpha take care of you” 

His pupils dilate, his eyes shine with desire. I love seeing him like this. He’s mine, he’s so beautiful, so sweet, an he’s mine. 

“I’m yours, Alpha” Steve whispers against my lips. He has to be a damn mind reader. 

“I love you, baby” I huff out and chase him against the wall, my hands are all over him and within seconds he’s left with no clothes and keening against me to get me out of mine as well. 

“Oh, Stevie; so fuckin’ pretty.. look at you, baby” he’s going insane with my teasing, I can see it in his eyes. His hips are thrusting forward, searching for friction to his hard cock, but I’m not giving it to him yet. It seems cruel, sure; but I know what he likes, what he wants. And he wants to want it so bad, that he’ll come from my stare alone. 

“Bucky.. Alpha.. oh” He’s already mumbling, his words cut off by my hand on the base of his cock, my fingers playing with his balls, teasing, making him whimper while he’s stuck against the wall. 

“You want me to fuck you, Omega?”

Steve’s beyond answering with words, he moans and nods and tries to push his cock against me. 

“Okay, Stevie, baby. I got you. m’gonna take care of you, I’ll always take care of you, Omega” 

We’re both running on pure instinct now, I need to protect him, I need to make sure he’s safe. I need to mark him as my own, because that’s what he is. He’s mine. And no one else can touch him, no one will come near him without smelling me. Without seeing the marks he’ll carry around for weeks before I reclaim him. They’ll know. They’ll see how deep the marks go, how my dominance will mean a world of pain for them if they touch him. 

They’ll smell my strength and they’ll know. 

***

“Morning, Barnes!” Sam grins, leaning against the side of the black SUV, eying Steve behind me. 

I honestly don’t understand how Sam can be so goddamn chippy so early in the morning. Must be a Beta thing. 

“I wish you didn’t have to go, Buck” Steve murmurs, and my heart rate picks up. 

“Me neither, baby” I turn back to him, his hair is messy and he looks utterly delicious with the way his t-shirt stretches out over his muscular body, his sweatpants riding low on his hips. He’s so goddamn beautiful. 

My hands move to his hips, I’m close to him before I even know it. “I’ll call when I can, okay? Keep your phone close. I expect you to pick up” 

“Yes, Alpha” he breathes against my lips and kisses me gently. 

“Barnes, we aint got all day!” Sam calls out from behind me, I flip him off. 

Steve scoffs. “Go, Buck. I love you” 

“I love you, too. My Omega” His lips connect with mine again and it’s heaven. I really don’t want to leave him for so long. Though I know it wont be the full four weeks, but I wont see him for at least three days, and that’s too long already. 

“Be safe? Please?” Steve eyes one of the guns hidden underneath my suit, -honestly, combat gear is so much more comfortable- and looks back at me again. 

“I promise” another kiss, with more fervour, more passion and I have to let him go. 

“And be nice to Sam!” he calls after me. I can hear the grin in his voice; it pulls a smile to my lips. A small one, but it’s there. 

The way he looks at me when I close the car door is a mix of love, lust and sadness. I hope I never have to see that look on him again, but I know I will. Every time I leave for an assignment he gives me that look, and I return it; we don’t like to be apart. The years I’ve spent in the military, getting trained to be a proper Alpha, to command over Beta’s and Omega’s alike, command over forces even. It feels like I’ve been leading men and women all of my life. It fits me. And I hate it as much as I revel in it. Years of being forced to follow my instincts, being beaten when I didn’t. It made me what I am today, it made me into the perfect Alpha. Perfect except for the one thing they set out to beat outta me: Steve. The one Omega I don’t want to dominate. and luckily he wont let me. Well.. not always, that is. 

“Why you always gotta be so dramatic, Barnes? It’s not like you’ll never see ‘em again” Sam jokes as he pulls out of my driveway. I keep looking at Steve until I can’t see him anymore. It’s almost as if I can hear his cries all over again, as if he’s still begging me to come back. Every damn time. Sam doesn’t know. I don’t have a right to be angry at him, but hell if he doesn’t get under my skin like this. 

“Shut it, Wilson. You’re not gonna like me when I don’t get to fuck him for four weeks” it comes out harsher than I meant, but I’m not gonna apologise. 

“Sorry, boss” Sam mutters, keeping his eyes on the road wisely. He knows better than to cross an Alpha who is just separated from his Omega when he doesn’t want to be. It’s not like I’d seriously hurt him; maybe rough him up a bit, but I could make him be on guard duty at the private armoury just outside the city instead of going on actual assignments.  
It’s about a seven hour drive to where we’re going. A small outpost in the Nevada desert, the middle of fucking nowhere. The place reminds me of area 51 when we finally pull up at the front gate; all barbwire fence, electrified, tall. Behind it is one single asphalt road, splitting the desert surrounding it in half until it reaches a low building. I estimate there’s a lot more buildings behind it, it looks like a military base, just.. too quiet. 

“What the hell is this place?” Sam mumbles as he peers out the front window, as if he’s reading my mind. 

“I don’t know, Wilson. Don’t ask questions, we’re here to do one job” I get out of the car into the scorching heat, instantly regretting that decision. I’m used to extreme heat, and cold for that matter, but this suit is getting all the more uncomfortable and I’m longing for the comfortable combat pants and armour we usually wear. I don’t get why we’re supposed to be all dressed up for this chick anyway, how are we supposed to protect our subject when we can’t even move properly?

There’s a loud noise, a buzzer going off three times and there’s movement at the compound in the distance. A single car drives up to the gate slowly and stops a few feet away from it. All four doors open and three men in suits come out simultaneously, like a well-oiled machine. The one door stays open but there’s no movement until one of the men reaches into the vehicle and drags a figure out. The men are all beta’s, it’s clear by the way they move. The figure however, is apparently the reason why we’re here. It’s a woman, not tall but not short either, she’s wearing a jumpsuit and her wrists are bound, as if she were imprisoned, and a mask covers the lower half of her face. Her eyes roam over me and my team, Sam who’s standing next to me and the car behind us with three other Beta’s standing in front of it. Her eyes linger on me though, she’s already figured out who’s in charge. It’s still not clear to me what her designation is, until the breeze picks up slightly and sends a whiff of her scent my way. If I hadn’t smelled it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. The way she stands so tall, even with her wrists cuffed and a mask covering half her face, I would’ve been sure she was an Alpha. But she’s not. She’s an Omega. A powerful one, judging by the way she carries herself. 

“What the hell?” Sam huffs out, shifting from one leg to the other. I can’t say I blame him. It’s a weird display. It’s as if the three Beta’s are silently acknowledging that this Omega is above them, when that’s not something a Beta would do. They’re not powerful or have anything to say for that matter, but Omega’s are supposed to be below them. But with this Omega shackled and prevented to even speak, they seem weary of her. 

The gates open and I step forward to make the exchange. They push her into my hands and she recovers immediately without missing a beat. Her eyes burn into mine and I can see her shoulders haunch over in submission. I’m Alpha, she’s Omega, she knows the rules and obeys her instincts. Though there’s a glint of rebellion behind those bright eyes, mischief maybe. It’s almost like looking into Steve’s bright blues. 

“The subject is to be taken to the facility immediately. No disturbances” One of the Beta’s snaps me out of my thoughts. 

“Understood” Sam responds, I notice the Beta’s are all avoiding my gaze, they’re intimidated, and I can’t help the way my chest pumps up with pride and dominance. The Omega makes herself smaller on instinct. 

“Is this necessary?” my voice comes out rougher than it usually is, more intimidating because of the Omega that reminds me so much of Steve already. I’m motioning to her restraints and the muzzle, because that’s what it fucking is, a damn muzzle. 

“It’s per her request, not ours” one of the Beta’s answers and turns to go back towards the base behind them. The other two follow and they’re gone before I can ask any more questions.  
I look at the Omega next to me, she’s staring at the base until I tug on her elbow to get her in the backseat of our vehicle. 

“You drive, I’ll ride with her” I growl at Sam and he obeys without saying a word. 

The drive back seems to take longer. The facility she’s supposed to be at isn’t far from our own headquarters, and therefore, not far from my own house. Not far from my Stevie. We’ll have to stay with her for the first three days, rotating shifts, sleep when we can and after those days, I’ll be able to spend the nights with my Omega.  
After a few hours of silence and the girl next to me staring out the bulletproof window, I randomly make a move to pull the muzzle off her face. I don’t know why, really, maybe because I’m curious. I want to see the whole of her face. But she jerks her head away, not really jerking, just moving away from my hand. She shakes her head slowly as her eyes flicker to me and go back to the window instantly. 

“Why?” I ask her under my breath, so Sam doesn’t hear. 

She shakes her head again, and looks down. She seems distraught, but her scent remains calm. 

I stifle a sigh and cast my eyes elsewhere. One way or another, I’m gonna know about her. 

The facility isn’t big, from a strategic standpoint it’s not easy to breach. We were instructed by Fury that no one but my team is to be within a few feet of the subject -I still don’t know her name- and we are to kill anyone who tries. We are to cater to her every need as well, but that’s work for the Beta’s. I’ve taken it upon myself to scout the facility, and I find that it’s a laboratory of some kind. I’m introduced to the head of security and the facility’s leading scientist, a kind man named Banner. He’s an Alpha, no doubt about that, but he’s introverted; maybe even shy. I can tell he’s bonded with some one, the safe, homey smell of an Omega stains him. It makes me think of Steve.  
Banner tells me little of what it is they do in the facility, secret government experiments, but he assures me there’s no danger in their work. 

“There is nothing here that will compromise Miss Javen’s safety, you’ll only have to protect her from outside threats” Banner fidgets with his employee card and gives me a nervous smile. 

“Javen? That’s her name?” I look around the lab, seeing several Beta’s and Omega’s move around, doing their job. 

Banner raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t know her name?” 

I shake my head at that, we don’t know shit about this girl. “All I know is that we need to protect her, that her age is 22 to 27, and that she’s an Omega. But that.. I had to find out for myself” 

Banner sighs, “They’re nothing if not mysterious. Anyway, Miss Javen’s quarters are all set, I assume she’s already there?” 

“Yes, she is. I’ll be there with her for 72 hours, after which we’ll be rotating shifts for another four weeks or so. I’m assuming after that any other security will be taken care of?” 

Banner shifts and nods. I take note of his attitude and go on my way. He’s not a threat, but something’s up here. 

The rest of the staff steers clear out of my way, all Beta’s and Omega’s. Some of the Omega’s look at me longer than they should and I make sure to bare my teeth and growl at them in warning so they know to stay away. They’re more respectful than most; some Omega’s are shameless -or maybe desperate- and try to pounce on me, seduce me, even though they can smell Steve on me. I can smell Steve on me; it’s comforting, but it makes me miss him even more. Knowing I wont be with him for 72 hours is torture. I can’t call him, not now. So I shoot him a quick text, saying I’ll be back in three days, but only for a few hours of rest before I have to get back to the facility. 

“I’ll miss you, jerk. Stay safe. Love you”

The response makes me crack a smile and I’m pretty sure my testosterone levels are spiking slightly. It makes the Omega shift across from me as she gets distracted while Sam is taking off the cuffs on her wrists. 

“Sorry” I mumble as I put away my phone. 

“It’s fine” 

This is the first time I hear her voice; it’s smooth and soft. Full and steady, like an Alpha’s. But she’s Omega. When I look up at her, she’s taken off her muzzle and gives me a small smile. “You have an Omega at home, soldier?” 

“I do” 

She smiles at that; wider, genuine. “She nice?” 

“He” 

“Just as well” she says as she sits down in one of the recliners. She’s comfortable here, though on her guard, clearly. 

I scoff at her casual demeanour, “Yeah, he’s nice. You can’t smell him on me?” 

She shrugs, “Sure I can. But with an Alpha like you, a girl can never know” 

She’s testing the waters. Seeing how far she can go with me. I take a lot of crap from Steve, really. He’s the only one who can really undermine my dominance, and he does usually. Except when we’re in the mood.. then he’s the sweetest, most submissive Omega anyone’s ever seen. The picture of perfect obedience. It gets my cock twitching with interest just thinking about it. 

“What’s that supposed to mean, then?” She’s still oddly comfortable while I’m scoping around the room, aimlessly looking around, noticing it’s quite comfortable. There’s bookcases along one wall, filled with everything from fiction to tech-manuals, a large couch opposite the two recliners which are placed in front of a working fireplace. Dark wood and white walls, cream coloured furniture, it’s the picture of luxurious comfort. Some one is trying to keep this Omega happy. 

“You know what it means, Mr Barnes. It means that you’re the perfect Alpha. You’re tall, muscular, you have this dominant air around you; hell, it even got me squirming in my seat on the way over here” she’s serious. She’s dead serious. Not even a curl of her lips.

“Then why don’t you address me as an Alpha? You’re running your smart mouth after you’ve said nothing for hours” I take a seat on the couch across from her. This suit is getting really annoying. 

“You’re not traditional. I bet you’d even let me call you by your first name” she smiles, sweetly, not a smirk, or a smartass remark; just an observation. 

“I would” I nod and give her a small smile in return. “It’s James, by the way” 

She leans forward and sticks her hand out to me, “Nice to meet you James” I take her hand and shake it. “I’m Javen” 

“Javen’s your first name?” I cock an eyebrow at her and she smiles. 

“It’s my only name”


	2. Perierat et Inventus Est

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 of Perierat et Inventus est. 
> 
> I've already published these chapters on my Tumblr, they're differently organised there. After this chapter it's third person POV only.
> 
> http://avasparks.tumblr.com

Steve lounges around the house while Bucky’s away, drawing up the next few things commissioned, he even got a request for a painting from Tony Stark himself, even though he hasn’t had as much experience with painting; the man apparently liked what he saw. Tony Stark, humanitarian, Omega supporter on all counts and very, _very_ eccentric. Other than that he’s a philanthropist, billionaire playboy, and apparently very trusting, because he payed half of the commission up front.  

Steve’s more than happy to expand his horizons to indulge Tony Stark, he only hopes that Bucky would agree. He knows he will, he loves Steve’s art, loves it nearly as much as he loves Steve himself. He’ll be surprised though, and maybe a bit disgruntled about Steve spending money on painting supplies. But he’s earning a lot of money for it in return, half of which he already received in his personal bank account, per Tony Stark’s request. He said he’s paying Steve, not his Alpha, for the paintings. A very strange man indeed.  

The moment Bucky left, he felt an emptiness edge inside of him, as it always does when his Alpha leaves for longer than just a workday. It’s more than the love he feels for Bucky, it’s instinct. The moment his Alpha isn’t within shouting distance, he feels as if there’s a part of him missing; not broken, but not whole either. Bucky is part of him, as he is part of Bucky; it’s been that way even before they were designated. Unconditional love, a friendship, a love, that could not even be broken by years of being apart, years of Bucky being fed propaganda. Years of Bucky being trained and conditioned to dominate any and every Omega. He doesn’t talk much of his time with the military; the training he received did come in handy now that he works at Shield. Personal bodyguards, private security, short time gigs only; it’s not a bad job at all. Usually he protects people who need it, people who’re good and do good things. Sometimes they’re not, but Bucky does the job anyway. They need an income, after all. Steve tries not to let it bother him and Bucky doesn’t divulge much what he’s doing on his job on a daily basis. Not even when he’s protecting the right people. It’s better that way. The company has experienced problems with family being kidnapped for information before, horror stories Nick Fury tells newcomers to secure secrecy. No one is to know about their business. Before, during or after the job’s finished. One day, Steve did find out who Bucky was protecting. A week long assignment for some crime lord who was in town for negotiations of territory with another -just as dishonourable- man. Steve had been livid, though it’d taken everything for Bucky to get him to calm down. They agreed that he had a job to do, and it wouldn’t always be as honourable as they’d hoped it would.

Now, Steve would have at least three days without his Alpha, without his Bucky. He’s opted to stay occupied. He already cleaned the house from top to bottom, finished more than half of his commissioned drawings, and a few he just did for the hell of it, and he’s noting that he’s procrastinating getting started on the paintings. He’s wondering where to start. Tony Stark had wanted something urban, something that had the soul of the city. Steve understands what he means, he does, he’s just not sure how to capture it. Inspiration just hasn’t hit him yet.

With a controlled sigh, Steve puts away the last of the dishes and heads up into his favourite room in the house- besides the bedroom. It’s beautifully lit with windows left and right and all around, a sunny afternoon in this room always provides the best lighting for drawing. Now Steve hopes it’ll do the same for painting. He’s got everything set up already; an easel, canvas -still tauntingly clear white- paintbrushes and of course numerous colours of paint, just waiting to be used by him. There’s no use in stalling any longer, he supposes. The light in the room clears his mind, sets his thoughts free; allows him to at least ease the pit in his stomach with Bucky’s absence.

* * *

“Sam, you’re outside. No one is to come through this corridor. They have no business here, not even for a shortcut”

“You got it, boss” Sam smiles at me and salutes loosely. “I got Logan on the other side of the hall, making sure no one thinks about even opening that door”

I give him a quick nod and go back into the apartment the facility’s set up for Javen. It’s peaceful, bright; windows shedding in light, too high to see what’s outside. It’s tactical, in a good way. No way to see what’s outside, no way to see what’s inside. Unless anyone tries to get in through the roof. This assignment has gone from strange to weird to crazy, real fast. Not in terms of attempts to get to Javen, up to now, nothing’s happened. But the lack of intel, the pick up, the voluntary muzzle; it’s all adding up to something I haven’t figured out yet. Years of military training has taught me one thing: don’t trust anything but your gut, and never let your guard down.

“Javen? Where are you?” she hardly moved from the recliner since she got here, and now she’s nowhere to be seen.

“I’m about to step in the shower!” she calls from an adjoining room, I checked it earlier. No way in or out but the door to this room.

“Alright” I call back to her and nod to one of the Beta’s to hold the door on the outside with Sam.

There’s no need to make Javen more uncomfortable by having more men around, even if they are only Beta’s. Fury’s orders were very clear, delivered by his second, Natasha, enunciating that I’m to stay within three feet of the subject for the first 72 hours. After that, the reinforcements will arrive at the facility and the detail will only be one man per shift. Why the government would not trust these people for the first three days, but would after, is lost on me.

Even though I can’t see her, I know exactly when Javen’s taken off her clothes. Her scent spreads through the room, vanilla and a fresh ocean breeze, and envelops me. She’s not trying to seduce me, not at all. She respects that I have an Omega. Even though Alpha’s are free to have a whole harem of Omega’s, she doesn’t seem to either agree with that, or maybe she knows how much I love my Stevie. Nonetheless, her scent is enticing, and knowing she’s naked in there, warm and wet under the spray of the shower, is making my cock twitch with instinctive interest. Of course, I’ve noticed her body, her bright eyes and full lips; I wouldn’t be an Alpha- hell, I wouldn’t be a man- if I hadn’t noticed. But she’s modest about it, she’s not like other Omega’s, who throw their scent in an Alpha’s face along with an excessive amount of skin. I haven’t seen her out of that jumpsuit, but I’d take an educated guess that she’d look really, _really_ good in a dress. Or just jeans and a shirt. Or with nothing at all.

This is the Alpha thinking, not me. Damnit. Thinking with my dick doesn’t really help the situation.

“Hey James?” her voice sounds from behind the door.

“d’You need something, Javen?”

“Um, yeah.. I forgot to bring my clothes in here.. I’m sorry. Could you please hand them to me?” she sounds embarrassed, apologetic.

“Sure” I look around and find the pile of fabric she’d laid out for herself. For a brief moment I wonder if she’s been here before, or if the facility has provided her with them.

“Javen?”

The door opens a fraction. She’s standing there, enveloped in steam and a white fluffy towel, an apologetic smile gracing her features.

“Thank you, James. I’d forget my own head if it wasn’t attached to rest of me” she nods as she takes the clothes from me. I’m too dumbfounded to even speak. Her scent has changed, ever so slightly, but my keen senses pick it up. It’s still vanilla and fresh ocean winds, but now I’m closer to her while she’s bare, I can smell it. That tell-tale scent, spicy and sultry. She’s about to go into heat.

“Javen..” I breathe out, I hadn’t accounted for this.

“What? What’s wrong?” she looks worried, clutching her towel closer to her body, her brows creasing.

“Your scent.. how long has it been since your last heat?” I’ve already taken a few steps back, self preservation, and hers as well.

“Heat?” she looks confused. “I’ve never been in heat, James. I- I can’t go into heat”

Now I’m confused. “You’re an Omega. You go into heat just as Alpha’s have their rut”

“I’m not like any other Omega, James” she smiles, still confused. “I’ve never been in heat”

“Well, you’re about to” I take a deep breath and my phone is already to my ear, calling Natasha for new orders.

“N-no. James..” she’s confused, disoriented even. “I- I _can’t_. It’s not possible. Y-you need to get doctor Banner. _Now_ ”

She collapses, I’m barely able to prevent her head hitting the hard tiled bathroom floor.

“Shit. Sam! Get in here, now!” I get her out of the steaming bathroom and carefully lay her down on the soft carpet.

“What- the fuck?” Sam stares at me and then at Javen. “What happened?”

“Go get doctor Banner, right now” I’m checking her pulse, her temperature, even though that doesn’t really tell me much. She’s hot, but she could still be hot from the shower.

Within two minutes, Banner barges into the room and kneels next to her.

“What happened?” he asks, already checking her vitals.

“She just took a shower, and I noticed something about her scent. She’s about to go into heat, but she said that-..” Banner cuts me off.

“Heat? That’s not possible, she-..” that’s when the scent hits him, and he knows I’m right.

“Why is it not possible, Banner? She’s an Omega. She goes into heat, just like any other” I notice I’m hissing, harsh tones, and it definitely has something to do with the distressed and still unconscious Omega that’s lying in between us.

“Get her to the bed” Banner instructs and is already making to lift her off the floor.

“I’ll explain later, Barnes!” he suddenly yells, “Get her on the bed, now! And all Beta’s, out!”

The urgency in his tone gets me to move, but instead of having him help me, I pick her up myself and carry her to the bed. The towel is lost with my movements and it takes everything I have not to look at her bare body. As soon as she’s on the mattress, I cover her with the sheets.

Banner is at my side again, checking her pupils with a light, checking her pulse and counting her heartbeats. When he’s satisfied with that, he turns her over, to lay on her belly. He’s moved the sheets away. It’s not a problem yet, the scent is only a hint; nothing too prominent to be distracting, yet.

“Move her head, make sure she can breathe laying like this” he orders, and I do as he says. No Alpha power struggle in the face of an Omega in danger. I glance over to Banner’s hands and my eye catches something on her back. Actually, it catches something all over her spine. From the base of her skull, to her lower back, her spine is covered with silver plates. Small ones, it looks like they’re resembling the bones of her spine, they start at one size, and get smaller as they reach the base of her skull.

“What the fuck is that?” my voice is failing me, the question comes out as a breath.

“Nothing to be concerned about” Banner has a syringe in his hand and takes off the cap with his teeth. But that’s not gonna work for all of us.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” I’ve got his wrist in a vice-grip, and every word comes out with an unspoken threat.

“She needs to wake up, Barnes” Banner says calmly. “This will make that happen”

I’m weary, but what choice do I have at this point? The doctor hasn’t given me any reason to distrust him, and this is his facility, if I’m protecting her, it’s definitely not from him.

“ _Fine_. But if something else happens to her, besides waking up, you’ll live to regret it”

Banner nods as I let go of his wrist, bruises already showing on his skin. He sinks in the needle, just below the lowest plate on her back and I’m watching intently as a blue-green liquid disappears into Javen’s body. I can only hope I haven’t made the wrong choice here.

Luckily I don’t have to wait for long. A gasp and a pained moan tell us she’s awake, and she immediately checks her surroundings.

“Doctor Banner?” she asks blindly, slightly panicked. Her scent is stronger.

“I’m here, Javen. It’s okay” he soothes, and pushes me out of the way to get in her line of sight.

“James?” she asks next and tries to lift her head.

“Shh, don’t, you have to stay down. You’ve just received a dose. You know what that means” Banner pets her hair gently and she nods.

“I’m here, Javen. Are you okay?” I step up behind Banner, just to make sure.

“Yes. Thank you, James” she smiles. “Bruce..” her eyes shift to Banner’s. “Am I really going into heat?”

Banner sighs and avoids her gaze. “Yeah, you are Javen. I’m sorry”

“So.. it didn’t work?” her voice is small and broken, as if she’s on the verge of tears.

“I’m afraid not. I’m sorry. But we’ll keep trying, if you want. We just have to wait until your heat passes”

She says nothing, but nods in understanding, a single tear escapes her eye.

I’ve had just about enough. “I know you’re not obliged to tell me anything, but if you want me to protect her, I should probably have a little more information about this” I’m pinching the bridge of my nose, wracking my brain for any explanations I could offer up myself, coming up empty. “If she collapses again, and you’re not here with whatever you just gave her, what happens then?”

Banner shakes his head. “You’re right, James” he sighs and lets go of Javen’s hand. “d’You mind if I tell him?”

She shakes her head, still a bit dazed, but definitely conscious and incredibly depressed. Her scent changes again, and I can tell Banner feels the same strong need I’m feeling, to take her in his arms and make sure she’s okay.

“You better go sit down, James” Banner sighs, he looks tired all of a sudden. “It’s quite a long story”

 

***

_10 years ago, Nevada Hydra Omega testing facility_

“How is my beautiful girl doing?”

“Very well, doctor Zola. Project Javen is almost ready”

“Good. Proceed with caution. We don’t have much cells left, this one has to work” Zola’s thick accent fills the observation room. He’s looking at the cilinder tank, filled with a thick green substance, wires connecting to a seemingly invisible target.

It’s an organism. An organism built from a few cells, growing before their eyes.

“She’s magnificent” Zola murmurs as the cells gather and come together to form something that looks like a foetus. “Stop the feed. We don’t want to stress her”

A ‘yes, doctor Zola’ sounds through the observation room, and the organism stops growing. It’s alive, something that resembles a heartbeat moves the figure subsequently, but peacefully. Zola stays behind to admire his creation just a little longer, then turns off the lights and leaves for the night.

For 27 days, the foetus keeps growing inside the tank. It’s formed arms and legs and fingers and toes, the head was already formed. After eight days, clear features are showing on its face, the face of a beautiful girl. She looks adolescent, like a seven or eight-year old, but she’s still growing, after all.

After fifteen days, the figure has grown into a woman. Curves, luscious, but proportioned, dark hair has began to sprout and has reached shoulder length, from what the scientists can see. She’s still floating in the tank, after all. She’s breathing on her own already, so the tank has been equipped with an oxygen-mask, which is strapped to her head, unable to be taken off by the woman herself, might she wake up prematurely. She’s not ready to get out of the water yet. It’s filled with antibodies and a protective serum that’ll prepare her like a mother’s womb does for a foetus. A cocktail to protect the woman for the outside world, might she ever see it.

Zola visits her every day, from the observation room he coddles her like she was his own child. In a way, she is. He’d ordered to collect the DNA, he’d put it together and oversaw the feedings. He’s no Alpha, but a very smart and valued Beta; he has a right to these feelings, he believes.

After 27 days, it’s finally time. She’s woken up and taken out of the tank. She sputters and coughs, heaves in air as if she were drowning seconds ago.

“Oh, my lovely, sweet girl” Zola coos, and pets her wet hair, while she’s shaking on the cold tiled floor. “Get her dry and some clothes. We will begin immediately”

The first year is spent to teach her to walk, speak several languages and act like a regular human being. Technically, she is human, though not made like other humans. The next four years, she’s used for what she was made for: testing.

_‘The Javen project is created solely for the purpose of fertility. A way to extend important bloodlines if it were the case that an Omega in one of those bloodlines isn’t able to bare a child, Alpha’s will be able to buy a synthetic Omega, a carrier. These Omega’s will not require heat for impregnation and will have shorter pregnancies’_

Because doctor Zola used existing DNA, project Javen developed a personality, or somewhat. She knew she didn’t like the testing. The needles with strange substances that made her feel dizzy and disoriented; they poked and prodded everyplace.

The worst procedures though, were when they tried to induce heat. It never worked, and Javen never understood why they tried. She didn’t need to be in heat to get impregnated, after the fifth time they tried, she was convinced they were just doing it for fun. It hurt, she got all the symptoms, but never the heat.

Heat for an Omega isn’t a pleasant three days when without an Alpha. When their needs aren’t met -mating- their body temperature rises until it can’t anymore, and they will die of dehydration if not assisted. Aside from that, there’s severe physical and emotional pain. Skin burns, bones ache, headaches make the brain feel as if it’s crushing the inside of one’s skull. Some say the loneliness is what’s worst. The reality of not having an Alpha, a mate, by their side to ease the pain.

For four years this continued. With the enhanced cells in her body, the procedure to induce was equal to torture. Though, she didn’t know any better.

Five years after her birth as a grown woman, the American government raided the facility. Doctor Zola knew very well what would happen if they found Javen. Even though the Omega rights were less than equal to Alpha’s, torture and testing on them was strictly forbidden.

There was a time where Omega’s were scarce and worshipped. But after the baby-boom in 1945, things changed drastically. Statistics showed that more than half of the baby’s born between 1945 and 1955, were Omega’s. It started with a gradual increase with hospital admissions from Omega’s; they were unable to find an Alpha to get them through their heat. Some died, most took up space in the hospital for days. It went from bad to worse; hospitals were jammed and filled to capacity to help Omega’s through their heat. Alpha’s and Beta’s began to protest. The government then decided Omega’s weren’t allowed to be admitted only because of heat-symptoms. An Omega uprise got the government to revise several laws; though not in their favour.

“Javen was found in the basement level with doctor Zola. He was about to put an end to the program, before the government agents put a bullet in his head, after that, she was brought to me, along with all the files they could find”

Javen’s asleep, has been for two hours. Bruce has taken that time to tell me her history. I’ve done the math, Javen’s about ten years old by now, with the body of a 27 year old.

“And why is she here now?” I look from Javen to Bruce and catch him in time to see him sigh.

“A year after we found her, she understood what they did to her. That it was wrong. It took a lot of explaining, and showing her how Omega’s are supposed to be treated. And I _don’t_ mean the way the general public does” Bruce looks over to Javen. “When she heard about how Omega’s were treated, what they have to endure, without any help, during their heat. She wanted me to try to reverse whatever Zola was doing, and turn it into medicine that would.. suppress heat symptoms” Bruce smiles a little. “I have an idea where she got the knowledge to come up with something like that, probably picked it up during the many procedures they preformed on her, and she had some great ideas to start developing”

Now I’m confused.

“Okay, but why the protection? What you’re doing is good, it would help Omega’s everywhere”

Bruce scoffs, bitterly. “Yeah, it would. But certain Alpha’s in congress and other high positions aren’t too pleased with that idea. They’ve already stopped us from going public, and they keep trying to sabotage our research”

I’m suddenly feeling like the couch is too hot for me to sit on, pacing seems like a better idea.

“Let me guess: Pierce?” even after all these years, I can only spit out his name like acid.

Bruce nods, “Good guess. As you probably know, he’s the one who made sure the law against Omega freedom passed. And suppressants will automatically give Omega’s more freedom, and power. They wont have to take weeks off from their jobs, they wont have to look for an Alpha so desperately anymore. They’ll be able to set standards; Pierce doesn’t want that. He’ll have no more ways to suppress Omega’s”

That sounds like Pierce alright. That asshole wouldn’t be able to get an Omega without somehow persuading them.

“How do you know Pierce so well?” Bruce is on his feet as well, he’s looking at me strangely, weary almost.

“I was military trained before I started working for Shield. Pierce was the one who forced me in, and took a personal interest in trying to.. reform me”

“Reform?” Bruce looks at me, eyebrows raised. Before he can ask any more questions, Javen begins to wake up.

“Bruce?” she croaks sleepily, she’s sitting up and notices too late that she’s still naked.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here” he hurries to her and covers her quickly. “You’re okay for now”

“Is she?” I’m starting to get angry, though I’m not sure why. Her scent is getting stronger, I’m wondering if my protective instincts are kicking in. If that’s so, I need to leave as soon as possible. I’m not sure I can control myself around an Omega in heat. “Why is she getting her heat now? If she’s never had one before!”

Bruce sighs, “I don’t know, but making her feel nervous isn’t gonna help!” he hisses at me and before I can retort, Javen interrupts.

“Talking about her like she isn’t here isn’t gonna help either” she grumbles. “Bruce, can you please try to find out why this is happening to me?”

“I will. I promise. I’ll come back later to draw some blood. I’ll figure this out” Bruce is on his feet and turns to me. “Watch her. Make sure she’s comfortable”

All I can do is nod, I’m already in to deep here. I can’t leave her now, even if I wanted to.

“You’re gonna be okay, Javen. We just need some help to get you through this”

She looks at me with curious eyes, but she’s scared too. I understand why she’d be afraid, I would be too. She’s never been through heat, but she knows the symptoms. And with the enhanced cells she’s made of, who knows what kind of pain she’ll be in when it actually hits for the first time.

“As far as I know, it wont hit for another three days, judging by your scent, that is. I don’t know if that counts for you though. You weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t like other Omega’s”

Attempt at humour. It seems to work. She smiles.

“You said something about getting help? Who?”

That’s something I still need to discuss with Natasha and Fury. “We need an Omega here to help you, some one who knows exactly what you’re going through”

“James-..” she sighs, trembling. “If you bring Steve into this.. there’s no going back. I’m pretty sure your boss didn’t tell you as much about me, but there’s a target on your back now. Pierce will stop at nothing for what he believes in. He’s tried several times to break in to whatever facility I was staying, and almost got away with it; twice”

“Not anymore he wont”

* * *

“Nick, I have a situation here. I need to bring Steve in”

“Your Omega? Why the hell-..?”

“Javen’s going into heat, I need to be here to protect her, but..’

“Alright, I get it” he sighs, I just know he’s rubbing his hand over his face, that’s what he always does when he’s about to authorise something he doesn’t really want to.

“Fine. Bring him in, but don’t disclose anything he doesn’t need to know, you got it Barnes?”

I can’t hold back a chuckle, does he have any idea what kind of job he took? “There wont be much left to disclose after that, boss”

“Why can’t it ever be easy..” he groans, and he’s definitely rubbing his face now.

“I need him here, Nick. Javen needs him”

“Fine, fine. Stop with the dramatics already. Have him picked up by Wilson”

“Thank you, boss”

“James. You shouldn’t do this” Javen’s in her recliner again, a book in her lap.

“Probably not. But I need him as much as you’re going to” I take a seat across from her on the couch. Her scent is stable, been that way for a few hours now. It doesn’t seem like her heat is moving any faster than usual.

She’s calm enough, that’s something. Most Omega’s get antsy and stressed in the face of their heat. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t really know what’ll happen. She knows the symptoms, sure. But I feel she doesn’t know the desperation, the need that’ll nag at her until it becomes unbearable. I know some of it, from what Steve’s told me, and I know how I behave when I’m in my rut.

It’s not that different.

_A few months ago._

“Stevie? Where the hell are you?” I’ve been checking every room in our house, looking for my Omega, desperately. It might be a bit dramatic, but when I’m like this, about to hit my rut, I can’t think straight. Which is exactly why I didn’t think of looking for the one place I _know_ where to find him at this time of day.

“I’m in here, Buck!” Steve called out from the study, where he was working on some sketches for whatever commission he’d been offered this time.

“Fuckin’ finally” I growled when I saw him sitting at his drawing table, immediately whipping his head around towards me when my scent drawled over to him.

“Alpha..” he breathed. “You’re..”

“Bed. _Now_ ”

“Yes, Alpha” Steve obediently rose to his feet, his full length always manages to throw me off. He’s too big to be an Omega, too _ripped_ , even. Broad shoulders, slim waist, long, muscular legs that could do some serious damage due to the extensive martial arts training he’s been doing for the better part of the last eight years. What always grounds me, is those big, blue eyes that stare up at me with such innocence, so willing and sweet, _obedient_. Luckily he knows me, how my dominance borders on cruel until the rut actually kicks in, and the cruelty fades to make way for desperation.

Thing is, Steve likes it when I dominate him. He loves it, actually. You wouldn’t say so outside of the bedroom, with his defiant stares and his back talking and his ever-lasting urge to have the last word; but he loves it when I pin him to our bed, any surface really, and fuck him breathless for hours.

We’ve been busy lately, with Steve’s art getting more and more attention, my work as private security detail becoming more and more intense, we haven’t had a lot of time to spend together. We squeeze in the occasional late night moments, just us on the couch, or in bed, talking about how we’ve been doing or just making love into the late nightly hours. But it’s been scarce, and I’ve missed my Omega dearly. As much as I want to take my time to get reacquainted with my Stevie, I can’t stop myself from pouncing on him the moment I walk through the door of our bedroom.

He looks so beautiful, kneeling on the bed, ass up, presenting to me like a good little Omega.

“Oh, _Stevie._ You’re so good for me, already took off your clothes. Such a good Omega..”

Steve purrs and knees at my praising, trying to stick his ass even higher into the air, always wanting to do better. That thought stings a bit.. He always wants to be better.

“You’re so beautiful, Stevie.. so gorgeous.. and all _mine_ ” I’ve shed my clothes within a minute, I need to get inside of him, the way he’s presenting to me, every muscle and plane of soft, pale skin just looks too good.

My rut is starting sooner than I expected, all because of the beautiful Omega on my bed, and he’s all mine.

“Please, Bucky..” Steve whines and squirms. He needs his Alpha as much as his Alpha needs him.

“Shh, baby, I’m here” I don’t know how I’m holding on to my coherency as much as I am, but I’m managing to take it easy on him so far. He’s leaning on his forearms, knees up, his cock hard between his thighs. _God_ , he’s beautiful.

“So good, Omega. You’re so good for me. You know that right?” my hands are skimming along the bend of his back, his muscles clench where I touch them.

“Wanna be good for you, Bucky, only you” he breathes and arches into my hands.

“You _are_ , baby. I love you so much.. look at me, Omega”

Steve looks up at me, his eyes large and dark with arousal. He looks so goddamn beautiful, so pretty.

“You’re good, Stevie, you make me so happy, baby. You know you do. You’re perfect..”

He lets out a whimper, soft and desperate, he needs me; needs his Alpha. And I can’t deny him a thing, even if I wanted to.

“You’re gonna please me, baby. You’re gonna make your Alpha feel good”

“Yes, Bucky, please.. please, I need you, Alpha” his skin is getting hot and flushed, pheromones scorches the air around us, flooding my brain, making my cock pulse between my thighs.

“C’mere, Omega. Please your Alpha” I lay back against the many pillows on our bed, Steve likes to be comfortable and surrounded by softness, and beckon him over.

He comes willingly, eagerly, and silently asks me what I want him to do with his beautiful big eyes.

“Suck my cock, Stevie, put that perfect mouth to good use”

He purrs at the praise, crawling further up between my legs until he’s so close to my cock, I can feel his hot breath fanning over the sensitive skin. Just when I’m about to make a move, he grabs the base of my cock and instantly digs in, taking me in his mouth all the way, nuzzling his nose against my pubic bone. He leaves me breathless every time he does that. He’s gagging himself on my length, soft choking sounds fill the room before he drags himself off and heaves for a moment. Before he can catch his breath he’s flicking his tongue around the tip, and he’s sucking me down again.

“Oh fuck, Stevie! Ah, shit, easy baby.. don’t choke yourself okay?” I chuckle, breathlessly, he’s the most talented cocksucker I’ve ever encountered, and being in the army for a while, I’ve encountered a few.

“You like it when I do that” Steve breathes, pumping my cock with a strong grip. “Or.. I-.. I thought you did?”

“No! Yes, I do, baby. But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.. not for long at least” I add that last part with a grin, and earn a smile from him in return.

“I’m not uncomfortable as long as you’re having fun, _Alpha_ ” he purrs at me, his eyes showing a glint of playful defiance. It’s amazing -he’s amazing- how he can make all my senses go into overdrive with _one_ goddamn look.

“I am having fun, Omega.. ah fuck.. but I need to be inside you, baby.. C’mere, let me work you open”

It’s endearing really, how eager he gets when I want my fingers in him. He’s already gotten the lube from the nightstand and is now shoving it into my hands.

“Such a good boy for me.. stretch out for me, baby. Face down”

Steve whimpers and instantly does as he’s told, hugging one of the pillows with his arms and spreading his legs beautifully.

“Mmh, so willing.. so good.. my Omega”

“Yours.. Bucky.. only yours..” Steve sighs softly, his voice on edge in anticipation of what’s about to happen.

I can’t wait much longer, he’s so pretty, so beautifully spread out for me; god, it’s amazing I’m holding out this long already. And it’s only because I want this to be as good for him as it’ll be for me. Even that’s unconventional for an Alpha, I know. Omega’s are supposed to be used for an Alpha’s pleasure, used for nothing but a rut, and occasionally, for some amazing, desperate sex when the Omega is in heat. Which happens as often as a rut does for an Alpha; about twice, or three times a year.

Next to that, they’re worthless; or supposed to be. The sights on that are changing, laws are being adjusted and Omega’s are getting less looked down on. Steve’s been able to sell his art because of the adjustments, and he’s doing extremely well for himself. Even if he has to hide the fact that he’s an Omega, otherwise his art wont sell. It’s a fucked up world, it is.. but we’ve always looked at it differently.

“Bucky.. oh!” I love the way he begs for me when I work him open, one finger at a time. He takes it so well, and all I can think about while he’s moaning and writhing because of my fingers inside him is how beautiful he is.

“I love you, Stevie. Are you ready?”

“Yes, please, yes.. Alpha, make me yours, please..” he’s breathless, panting, begging for me to take him. God, I love it.

“You’re already mine, baby. Always have been… I can’t go easy from now on, okay? I’m kinda losing it here..”

Steve moans out loud, instinctively propping his knees up to present himself to me. “I know..” he breathes. “I can smell you.. you smell so good, Alpha”

“Gonna mark you up real good, Omega.. let everyone fuckin’ know who you belong to”

Steve moans and squirms, pushes his ass back against me, brushing up against my cock, sending jolts of pleasure through my entire body, making every nerve burn with want.

“Oh, f-fuck Stevie” I can’t wait anymore, and neither can he, my sweet Omega.

The moment I push in, it’s like the whole world disappears, except for him. Steve’s taken over all of my senses, his beautiful body around me, the amazingly tight squeeze his ass gives me, it sends me into overdrive. I’ve given him a few moments to adjust, but my resolve is just about gone by now. I pull back, revelling in the way he moans with every move I make.

“Tell me.. if it’s t-too much” I manage to stutter out those few words, not knowing if I’m gonna be able to make good on that promise, but also knowing nothing’ll be too much for my Stevie.

He’s taking me so well, he always does; even when I’m pounding into him with all that I have, the way I am now, he takes it so goddamn well. I can’t -and wont- help the praise that keeps spilling from my mouth. He needs it, after everything we’ve been through, he needs me to tell him how good he is, how beautiful he is and how well he’s taking my cock. I love him, I love him with all that I am, and I’ll remind him of that every minute of every day if I have to.

Low whines and whimpers fill the room, the muscles on his back tense every time I pull him back on my cock; he’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

“Mh, Stevie, c’mere” my voice is a mere growl, as it always is when I’m in my rut, he loves it; I could get him off by just talking to him if I pay my cads right. I pull him up to me, his back against my chest as I keep pounding into him and he’s wailing with pleasure. He’s crying out my name, grabbing on to the back of my neck and he holds on as if I’m his lifeline, as if he needs me to keep him safe; when he really doesn’t. But I’ll keep him safe nonetheless. He can take care of himself, as an Omega and a man, he can take care of himself. He wants me like that, though. He wants me to be protective, even if when we fight it’s about me being overprotective. I know he loves me for it.

I can feel the familiar coiling in my stomach, the tight pull of every muscle in my body, I’m chasing the relief that comes next; the relief that only lasts about thirty minutes until we’ll have to start all this again.

“I’m close, Stevie.. ah _fuck_ ”

“Please, Bucky.. I need to feel you closer”

Steve’s panting and moaning, and I know exactly what he means; and I need it just as much as he does.

Only a few more thrusts and I’m there; it feels as if I’m finally home all over again. Every time.

* * *

Alpha’s and Omega’s need the same things. If the world could start seeing that, it’d all be a lot easier. But there are always men -and women- who think they are above everyone. I admit, I feel that way sometimes. I try my best not to act on it, though sometimes I have to, because of my job. But I crawled for it, worked for it like a damn dog. And I know I’m not a bad person, Steve reminds me of that, every day. I need him here, just as much as Javen does. I love Steve, I love him so much. But I have my instincts, and I know I wont be able to control myself around an Omega in heat. She’ll beg any Alpha in her direct vicinity to knot her, to fill her up. And I’ll be the only Alpha around. I’ll be more than enough to subdue her for a while, without knotting her, but I need Steve here to keep a level head. 

“James? Are you okay?” Javen looks at me worriedly, I must’ve spaced out for a while. That’s sloppy. 

“Yeah, just thinkin’. I’m gonna get Sam to pick up Steve. I’ll be right back” 

Sam is right at the door where I left him. Good, I’m really not in the mood to play ‘find the Beta’. 

“Sam, I need you to go and pick up Steve. I’m gonna call him to let him know you’re on your way” 

“Ste- what? why?” he looks confused. He should be. 

“I need him here for Javen, Sam. Go” 

“Yes, boss. I’ll leave Logan at the door”

A quick nod and he’s on his way. As soon as I see Logan come my way I give him a nod as well. Luckily this team is tight enough to be able to converse non-verbally. 

Javen smiles at me, softly, guiltily. “I hope you know what you’re doing” 

“Yeah” 

So do I.


	3. Perierat et Inventus est

“Ready to go, Steve?”

“Uh, yeah. I guess I am” Steve hauls a backpack over his shoulder and locks the front door behind him.

“Alright, get in. We’ll be there in 30 minutes”

“Is Bucky alright? He sounded a bit frantic on the phone”

“He’s fine, he needs you. And you’re gonna be there in no-time, so that’ll be taken care of” Sam smiles and neatly turns a corner.

When they arrive at the facility, Steve can’t keep his gaze from wandering. It looks beautiful; all round buildings, crest white, surrounded by a healthy green field of grass and flowers, trees scattered around which make for a tighter forest further back. Steve’d never guess this would be an Omega testing facility. The thought makes him nervous; he is an Omega, after all. Years of hospitals and tests and needles; dark places in his mind. It makes him itch.

“C’mon, Steve. Your Alpha is waiting for you” Sam jerks his head towards a separate stairway just through the main entrance.

“R-right, okay” Steve shakes off the jittery feeling and follows Sam up the stairs. They pass several Shield guards on their way, men Steve has seen before, briefly. They acknowledge him with a curt nod and focus on their task.

Sam knocks twice, a wooden door that seems weirdly out of place in such white halls. Steve smiles widely when that door opens. Bucky instantly fixes his gaze on him and smiles too. Without a word, Steve is dragged in by his elbow, right into his Alpha’s arms.

“Stevie, my Omega” Bucky growls underneath his breath. “I love you, thank you for coming”

“Oh, Alpha” Steve vaguely registers the door closing behind them, wrapped up in the rich, woodsy scent of his Alpha. Being in his arms tells him a few things already; he’s missed his Omega, and he’s nervous. “I love you too, Alpha. I missed you”

“I know Stevie, I know” Bucky hums gently, squeezes him tighter and kisses him. Bucky’s lips make him forget about the world for a minute, about why he’s there; until he picks up on a different scent. Vanilla and fresh ocean winds, a hint of spice, ginger maybe, he can’t put his finger on it. An Omega on the brink of heat.

“You needed my help, I believe?” Steve smiles sweetly as he loosens his grip on Bucky’s waist.

“Yeah, Steve,” he turns sideways to a woman, she stands from the recliner she’s been nonchalantly sprawled out over, “this is Javen, Javen, this is Steve”

“Nice to meet you, Steve” Javen smiles, briefly, her eyes flicker from him to Bucky and back.

“You too, Javen” Steve answers and shakes her hand formally. He’s not liking the way she’s eying his Alpha, at all. Even if she can’t help it because she’s about to go into heat, he doesn’t have to like it.

“So, Steve. You’re in charge. Tell us what to do” Bucky announces and gets a wide-eyed look from Javen.

“How long has it been since her scent changed?” Steve drops his backpack next to the couch and motions for Javen to take a seat.

“A few hours, maybe. I didn’t notice until she- um, she was naked” Bucky bites his lip, knowing that came out wrong.

Steve gives him a pointed look, surprise and hurt shimmering behind those baby blues. But Bucky knows he’s gonna let him explain himself.

“She- she was in the shower, and forgot to bring her clothes, I brought them to her. That’s when I noticed” Bucky talks fast, Steve nods, but doesn’t seem completely content with the situation. Bucky can understand. He knows very well that Steve knows what the instincts of an Alpha entail. Being so close to an Omega in heat, doesn’t really do wonders for fidelity.

“Stevie? Are you okay?” Bucky wraps his hand around one of Steve’s wrists, squeezes gently, a gesture of authority and love.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Alpha” Steve smiles, relaxes under Bucky’s touch.

Javen is watching the exchange with interest, her eyes trained on Bucky’s hand, fingers closed around Steve’s wrist, affectionate and powerful, a loving gesture. She hasn’t quite gotten all her emotions in check yet, even if it’s been a while since she was just a test subject in Zola’s lab. Right now she’s feeling something she’d probably compare to.. envy. The love between this Alpha and Omega is sensible, everywhere. From the way James is holding Steve, the lingering looks, as if they’re communicating non-verbally, entire stories, dialogues exchanged behind their eyes.

Javen looks at them and knows she wants that, that trust and affection between two people. Even if she’s not exactly human, she’s an Omega. She wants an Alpha of her own to take care of her.

And then it hits her, she’s never thought of this. Of needing an Alpha, needing companionship. She’s always been independent, not needing a single thing or person, except for Bruce. And that relationship has always been friendly, but no more than on a professional level. All she can think now; ‘should I blame the heat for this?’

“Javen, can you hear me?” Steve is trying to get her attention, waving his hand before her eyes, snapping his fingers. She shakes her head and looks into his eyes, bright blue, what a lovely colour. Not as James’ eyes, no; James’ eyes are pale, mirror-like. As if one look could make you look at yourself more closely, and you’d find yourself at home.

“Javen, I need you to look at me. I know he’s beautiful, but look at me okay?” Steve takes ahold of her cheeks and points her gaze back on himself.

Bucky is kneeled next to Steve, a blush actually creeping up on him; Steve called him beautiful. And he loves him, he loves Bucky, his Alpha; every time he’s reminded of that it warms his insides.

Javen whimpers, her brow is creasing and she’s averting her eyes back towards Bucky, she’s trying at least. Steve wont let that happen, though. It’s not the ‘jealousy’ -he’s calling it that for lack of a better word- that he feels when she looks at his Alpha; but he knows what it’s like; what it’s like to be in the presence of an Alpha in the face of heat. It’s burning, scorching; spontaneously combusting from the inside out.

“Keep looking at me, Javen. For your own good” Steve continues gently, offering a small, comforting smile. “Buck, can you please get us water? A lot of it?”

Bucky shakes his head, clearing his mind; he’s beginning to feel captured by Javen’s scent.

“Y-yeah. Of course” he mutters and looks at Steve. He’s on one knee before Javen, her face between his palms, making her look into his eyes to ground her.

It definitely works better for Bucky himself than it does for Javen.

As beautiful as Javen is, Steve is his; beautiful, sweet, loyal and as cheeky as they come. And he’s his, with all Bucky’s flaws, Steve wanted -and took- him back anyway.

Bucky sends Sam for water, and tells him to find doctor Banner as well, to see if there’s even a formulation of a plan yet. He’d already taken samples of blood from Javen, the colour of it seemed darker than usual, which didn’t surprise Bucky after hearing it was because of the chemicals the metal plates constantly give off in Javen’s body. Apparently she needs those, not only to stay alive, but to regulate everything that goes on within her body. It was also Banner’s theory that one of the metal plates was malfunctioning, therefore: inducing heat.

Sam comes back with three large bottles of mineral water and the news that Banner told him to get out and to tell Bucky that if he would constantly be interrupted, nothing would be going any faster.

Bucky had to give him that.

Steve had somehow gotten Javen as far as to lay down on the couch, she wasn’t showing any serious symptoms yet, though she was squirming as if she just couldn’t get comfortable. Bucky made sure to stay out of her line of sight for a while until she calmed herself more.

Eventually -after about two hours of Steve talking her down gently- Javen fell asleep; exhausted by so much unknown emotion and need.

“How is she doing?” Bucky opened up his arms for Steve to step into, which he did happily.

“She’s worn herself out. She really never been in heat before?”

Bucky shakes his head, “no. She’s in for it, huh?”

“Yeah. She is. It’s a bit heartbreaking, honestly. She looks at you as if she wants you, but she doesn’t.. she wants an Alpha. She.. apologised to me”

Bucky looks at his Omega and then at Javen, puzzled. “For what?”

“For looking at you the way she does. She said she doesn’t want you, per say. She wants an Alpha, and she also said she’s never wanted -needed- that before” Steve pauses to take a deep breath. “I told her she’s gonna be begging you to fuck her tomorrow. Begging you to fill her up with your pups and that she’s gonna remember it too”

Bucky’s face falls and he almost glares at Steve.

“What?” Steve holds up his palms. “I wasn’t gonna sugarcoat anythin’. She needs to know, and she also needs to know that it’s not her fault”

This time Bucky heaves a sigh, loaded with pity, sympathy for Javen. “I guess you’re right. Thank you, Stevie. I couldn’t have done this without you”

“Well.. you could’ve. But you would’ve handled it very differently” Steve looks down and smiles when he looks at Bucky again. “Thank you for getting me here. For trusting me with this; I.. I wouldn’t know what I would do if I smelled her on you..”

“Hey” Bucky grabs one of Steve’s wrists again, firmly. “Don’t. It’s not gonna happen, Stevie. It’s you. Only you. Got it?”

Steve’s pupils dilate, he leans into Bucky just that bit more and makes himself subconsciously smaller than his Alpha. “Yes, Alpha” he whispers, tilting his head up, asking for more affection.

Bucky readily gives him that by leaning in and kissing his Omega ’til it hurts.

* * *

“Oh god, what is that noise?” Javen groans as she tries to sit up, but an immense pain in her abdomen stops her. “Ah! Fuck!” she yells and looks down. There doesn’t seem to be any sign of damage.

“Hey, hey, Javen; don’t” Steve’s voice sounds far away. “Lay back down, this is just the tip of the iceberg, honey”

“Where’s.. James..” Javen breathes and haphazardly opens her eyes to look around, but the room is too bright.

“He’s here Javen, he’s keeping you safe” Steve pads down her forehead with a damn washcloth, not much he can do now but try to talk her through it.

“m’Keeping you both safe” Bucky grumbles from the recliner closest to the door. Pheromones have filled the room, it smells entirely of Javen, but he can still pick out his Stevie; he always will.

It’s hard to stay away, it’s so enticing; the smell of that sweet spice, definitely ginger, that vanilla and fresh ocean breeze. That _need_ , the pleas that have been coming from Javen for over half a day have been torture. He hasn’t slept in a day and a half, and his resolve is crumbling.

Steve, of course, notices. And when Dr Banner comes back to sedate Javen, to give her some relief, she almost lunges at him. He is an Alpha, after all. And now she’s pleading to him to help her, to fuck her, to give her what she craves.

Steve is at Bucky’s side as soon as Javen’s back under. Dr Banner is flustered, he’s having as much trouble with this as Bucky is; but neither of them can give her what she needs. Or neither of them will. Bruce wont violate the trust he has with Javen, Bucky wont violate protocol or his bond with Steve.

Javen just wants release.

“Buck? Are you okay?” Steve steps in his line of sight, he’s still on the recliner, grasping on to the armrests tightly, nearly ripping them off.

“Stevie” he growls as he looks into his Omega’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that always seem to ground him. “C’mere, Stevie, baby. I need you”

Steve can’t resist him now, even if he wanted to. His skin tingles where Bucky touches him, fingers enveloping his, stretching around his like a vine, the grip bordering on painful. Until Bucky pulls, roughly; and Steve stumbles into his lap.

“Mhh, Stevie, my Omega; you smell so good”

Bucky’s _growling_ , he’s starved and holding on to Steve as if he never wants to let go again. And he doesn’t, he doesn’t want to let go, he never wants to let his Omega out of his sight. His best friend and the love of his life, the one thing that was always the constant in his life, even after they were torn away from each other, torn apart.

“Alpha.. I love you” Steve whispers as he breathes in Bucky’s scent, “We can’t do this here, not now”

“I know” Bucky groans, licks his Omega’s neck, where his scent is strongest. “I just need to keep you close for a while, baby”

Steve hums and smiles when he feels Bucky’s teeth scrape along his neck, his hips lifting ever so slightly, so Steve is made aware of what his close proximity is doing to his Alpha. Steve purrs when those teeth sink into the crook of his neck, hard enough to draw blood. Bucky’s tongue laps up the few trickles of blood, soothing the soreness that follows.

“m’Sorry, Stevie” he whispers and licks again.

“Don’t be, Alpha, don’t stop..”

“Mh, Stevie, don’t talk like that” Bucky groans again, bites down next to that first spot, growling.

Steve shudders, feels his senses overcome by his Alpha, his very need to breathe depending on him. Bucky pulls him in closer, whispers to him that he needs his Omega, that he’ll always be safe, that he’ll always be his.

Steve takes a deep breath to reel himself back in as he nestles into his Alpha’s arms, feeling safe and anchored.

“You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen” Bucky murmurs, his lips grazing Steve’s neck, making sure his scent lingers there.

Steve squirms and tries to rake his short nails into the skin of Bucky’s neck.

“m’Sorry I dragged you here, Stevie. I don’t know why you put up with me, but I love you for it”

Steve opens his eyes, looks into the pale blue ones of his Alpha’s. “Where’s this coming from?” he whispers, confused. “What makes you think I put up with you? I’m yours, James Buchanan Barnes.. always have been. It just took me a while to see it”

_**Seven years ago, 2010.** _

It can’t be him.. it’s been three years since he’s seen him, three years since he’s seen his best friend, and now he’s just standing here.

“Bucky?”

“Steve..” Bucky releases a breath as if he’s been holding it for all this time. “I thought you were smaller”

Steve is still staring at the man standing in front of him, he’s still holding on to the door, in awe. It’s been three years since he and Bucky were ripped apart. Three long years without a word from his best friend and the love of his life, and now he just comes knocking at Steve’s door. Just like that.

Bucky has a nervous smile playing his lips, his hands are itching to touch, the _man_ before him doesn’t look like the boy he was ripped away from. Steve doesn’t look like that scrawny little boy who needed an Alpha’s protection. He seems taller, but then when he last saw him, he was tall, but skinny. It always made him seem shorter. It’s the muscle that throws Bucky off. Broad shoulders, still that narrow waist, strong legs and arms nearly as big as Bucky’s. He’s beautiful. The outside finally shows what’s on the inside. A strong, tall standing man, with every intention to always do the right thing and a promise to be stubborn and not move when he’s told he should.

“I.. I missed you, Stevie” Bucky mumbles, nearly stumbling over his words.

“You missed me?” Steve huffs and shows a bitter grin. “I haven’t heard from you in three years. And you just show up, and tell me you thought I was smaller and that you’ve missed me?”

Bucky winces at his tone, he knew this was a possibility; he knows Steve isn’t mad because he left, he couldn’t help that. He’s mad because of the silence. It really has been three years.

“I’m sorry” Bucky whispers. “I couldn’t risk contacting you, Steve. I-.. they..” he wants to explain. He really does. But he changes his mind. There are no excuses. He’s lost his Steve, he’s messed it up, and the steel look in those beautiful blue eyes show now yielding.

“I’m sorry” he whispers again. “I shouldn’t have come” Bucky readjusts his duffel over his shoulder and turns to walk away, and never look back.

 

***

 

“You do put up with me, Steve. I know I’m not perfect.. far from it. But I love you, more than I could ever explain” Bucky sighs and buries his face in Steve’s neck, just nuzzling his skin, keeping his Omega warm, keeping himself warm.

“You’re perfect, Bucky. You are. To me” Steve whispers, he would try to get closer to him, but if he did, he’d be climbing into his Alpha’s clothes.

“You’re such a sap” Bucky jokes weakly, and Steve smiles. A defence mechanism he’s seen his Alpha retreat into all too often.

“You love it, Alpha” Steve purrs and starts combing his fingers through Bucky’s hair. He knows he’s treating his Alpha right when he feels the rumble of a low growl against his shoulder. Bucky’s chest vibrates with the sound.

“I can’t wait to get you alone, Omega. I want to show you just how much you mean to me” Bucky angles his hips up, pressing a very prominent hardness against Steve’s thigh.

Steve makes to comment on Bucky’s libido, but is interrupted by a knock on the door. Bucky sighs and gently, reluctantly, pushes Steve away from him. Before he moves towards the door, Bucky instinctively puffs out his chest and makes his Omega feel smaller when he looms over Steve and kisses him, hard and possessive. For a split second, Steve wonders why, but then he smells the scent of another Alpha behind the door.

“Go check on Javen” Bucky orders lowly, and bites Steve’s lower lip to keep him from arguing. He nods slowly and goes to carefully sit on the edge of Javen’s bed, who’s still sleeping soundly; sedated and peaceful.

A scowl in on his face when Bucky opens the door, his gun at the ready behind his back.

Natasha smirks at him, but realises that Bucky is an Alpha, now defending two Omega’s. One of which, is his own. So she takes caution and doesn’t enter the room before Bucky steps aside.

“Hi Nat” Steve smiles and holds up his hand in greeting.

Natasha smirks at him, appreciating the view of such a beautiful specimen of an Omega. Bucky growls and moves in front of her so she can’t ogle at his Omega, the way she always does.

She smirks again, “Relax, Barnes. I just wanted to make sure everything’s good here. I can imagine this is difficult for you” she sniffs the air and closes her eyes briefly. “Being around this lovely smell for so long, must be driving you insane”

“Anything you need, Romanoff?” Bucky asks lowly, a tone of threat in his voice, even if she is his superior in a way.

“No” she quips, but keeps eyeing Javen behind Steve. “I wanted to see what all the fuss is about, and I’m glad I did..”

Bucky takes a step closer, he’s pretty confident he can take her out if he needs to, especially now that he’s so riled up by his own Omega in the room and Javen still giving off that incredibly intoxicating, needy scent. “Get out, Romanoff”

“No can do, Barnes. Fury ordered me to come and help you out here. So you’re stuck with me” she smirks, coming clean with the actual purpose of her visit.

Bucky nearly roars, Natasha stands her ground. Steve is anxiously looking from his Alpha to Natasha, knowing they get along fine usually, but now.. with himself in the room, and Javen sedated and in heat; his Alpha is unbalanced.

“Reel it in, James” Natasha says sternly. “You and I both know I have better control over myself than you do. We take shifts in guarding her, so it doesn’t drive either of us insane”

Bucky doesn’t back off just yet. His eyes are dark and threatening, Steve in the back of his mind, knowing exactly where he is at this time, knowing exactly how many feet, inches away he is from himself and Natasha. His instinct tells him she wants to take his Omega away from him, that she’d fight him to get to Steve, but his mind knows better.

“Fine” he growls. “Don’t fucking touch my Omega, Romanoff. You wont live to regret it”

His instinct has more control over his mouth than his mind has sometimes.

“Don’t worry. I have no intentions of taking him away from you. God knows I couldn’t if I tried” she smiles, genuinely; admiring the connection between this Alpha and his Omega. It’s not just hierarchy, she knows, and envies them.

“She asleep?” Natasha wanders further into the room under Bucky’s watchful and weary eye, and takes a seat on the recliner that Javen usually occupies; drawn to it by the Omega’s lingering scent.

“Sedated” Steve answers when Bucky doesn’t. It snaps him out of his reverie and he cautiously moves closer to his Omega, taking a seat on the couch, the spot closest to Steve, and the easiest tactical point to prevent Natasha from doing the same.

“Probably for the best” Natasha muses, watching Javen’s face, which is now looking oddly peaceful, considering the turmoil going on in her body.

Bucky thinks he sees something in her eyes, not hunger, but compassion; maybe even sympathy for the struggling Omega in heat.

* * *

It’s only after Steve has taken a break, napping in the other room for a few hours, that the tension between the two Alpha’s dissolves. They’re idly chatting about when Javen begins to stir.

“Shit” Bucky mutters and gets up. “I’ll go wake Steve”

Natasha rises as well, “Don’t, he’s only been sleeping for two hours. He’ll be too exhausted to do any good. I’ll take care of it”

Bucky watches her walk over to Javen and kneel beside the bed tentatively. As gracious as Natasha always moves, he’s never seen her like this. Her very body language screams control and gentleness; when it usually winks at deadly punctuation and fierce dominance.

“Javen? I’m Natasha” she whispers as she takes the Omega’s hand in hers.

Javen whimpers and instantly squeezes the fingers she has ahold of.

“Alpha..” she moans and squirms. “You’re.. an Alpha” she repeats and opens her eyes to see the new Alpha in the room.

“Yeah, I am, sweetie” Natasha coos, “Shh, it’s okay. It’ll pass”

Javen fusses and keeps squirming, “Please, Alpha. I need you, _please_ ”

“I know, baby, I know” Natasha grits her teeth but keeps her composure. Javen is giving off an even stronger scent now that she’s awake, and her begging is only adding to the seductiveness of it all.

Bucky is still watching Natasha from a distance with awe, how is she keeping it together like that? The air in the room is so thick with arousal and need and want, they can both smell how wet Javen is, how easy it’d be to take her and make her moan in pleasure. It’s not like Natasha could knot her, and therefore actually give her what she needs, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s clear that she wants this Omega. There’s a pull, that has nothing to do with the heat; Bucky can see it clear as day. He wonders if Javen would reciprocate that magnetism when she’s clear headed.

He’s so deep in thought that he doesn’t even notice he’s moved closer to the bed; Natasha whips her head around, her hair graciously falls over her shoulder as she shoots him a threatening look.

“Barnes, go to your Omega” she orders sharply, and it makes Bucky flex his every muscle.

“I can handle this, but you’re a distraction. Go” she urges and cocks a perfect eyebrow at him.

“Fine” he growls. “If anything happens, it’s on you”

Natasha nods and turns her attention back to Javen, who’s whimpering both their names now that she can also smell Bucky’s presence.

It’s nothing personal, really. He likes Natasha, as a team mate and a friend; but under these circumstances, they might as well be rivals. Though he knows, when Javen’s heat passes, it’ll go back to the way it was before. No animosity or hard feelings. He obeys her order and leaves her to tend to Javen, though only because he needs his Omega right now.

Steve is vast asleep on the twin bed, nearly taking up the whole mattress with his broad shoulders. The thought that it’s gonna be a tight squeeze on there makes Bucky fill up with warmth. He shucks off his jacket and tie, no need for them now, but leaves his shoulder harness with gunholster on. Because; you never know. Carefully he rolls Steve to his side, he protests sleepily, but smiles when Bucky crawls under the sheet and presses up against his Omega, letting him feel his erection, which hasn’t really flagged in over a day. To say that he’s on edge, is an understatement.

Steve stirs against him, tries to scoot closer before he wakes and notices he can’t possibly be closer to his Alpha. He mumbles Bucky’s name, his voice rough and low with sleep, followed by a content groan.

“y’Need anything, Alpha?” he mumbles, a smile trailing through his words.

Bucky huffs, grinning. “I got everything I need, baby”

“Are you sure?” Steve grinds his ass into Bucky’s groin, trying to coax his Alpha into doing more than just press up against him.

“Shh, Stevie.. I’ll take care of you when we’re back home” Bucky gently admonishes his Omega, though he’s biting his lip at the friction.

Steve turns to him, pushing out his lower lip in a pout, making Bucky chuckle fondly. “I can’t right now, baby. Behave”

That’s a direct order from his Alpha, it’s gentle, but firm. And it turns him on as much as it calms him down. Bucky notices.

“Aw, my poor Omega. You want to be good for your Alpha, don’t you?”

Steve squirms and ducks his head to fit it underneath Bucky’s chin. “Yes, Alpha” he answers quietly.

“Then take care of your Alpha like you know you should, baby” Bucky growls lazily and settles in comfortably on his back.

Steve’s pulse quickens with the order, and rests his head on his Alpha’s chest. He knows exactly what Bucky wants from him, what he needs. He brings his hand up to Bucky’s face, gently scrapes his short nails through the scruff on his chin before moving his hand up to his scalp.

Bucky’s chest rises and falls slowly with deep breaths, a growl here and there escapes his throat as he allows himself the pleasure of Steve’s fingers running through his hair.

Yes, he’s on the job, but Natasha’s got everything under control in the other room, and as long as he doesn’t smell any other Alpha’s, or hears any noise that shouldn’t be there, he’s allowed to let his mind wander off for a few minutes.

* * *

_**Seven years ago, 2010** _

“Wait” Steve choked out in a whisper, Bucky froze. “Don’t go. Not again”

Bucky stared at the floorboards without really seeing them, his focus was with Steve; his breathing, his scent, the reluctance he felt towards Bucky.

“I don’t want to go” he gritted his teeth. “I really did miss you, Stevie”

There was a beat of silence; then another and another. It was as if he could feel Steve’s heart rate spike.

“I missed you too, Buck” he finally spoke, even if it came out as barely a whisper. “Please-.. come in?”

Bucky turned, seeing the struggle in Steve’s eyes. He was clearly still upset, though there was something else in those clear blues; desire, maybe even desperation. They’re so close now, only a feet away after years of whole countries and seas between them. Yet Steve seems miles away; all Bucky has to do is reach out, stretch his arm, and he can touch him. So why doesn’t he? Why wont he just take that one tiny step towards the man he’s known all his life and take him in his arms? He’s just standing there, stationary, frozen as if he just can’t take that step.

“Buck.. please; just- come in here?” Steve mumbles, looking at his feet before he looks back at Bucky. He’s changed so much. He’s so tall, broad shouldered, his hair even seems a deeper shade of gold; he’s beautiful. Though Bucky always thought his Steve was beautiful, the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, inside and out. That thought makes him move, the image of his Stevie, so small and skinny; a scrawny kid with a big heart and a real knack for getting himself -and Bucky- into trouble.

Before he knows what he’s doing, Bucky has his arms around Steve and is burying the Omega in his embrace. Steve’s shaking, trembling, sobbing.

“Where were you” Steve cries softly, “Why-..” his question is cut off by a sob that tears through Bucky like a knife.

“Shh, Stevie; I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry” Bucky tries to soothe him, but Steve’s unconsolable, he’s clutching Bucky’s jacket as if he’s afraid he’ll disappear into thin air. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again, Stevie. I’m so sorry. I missed you so much”

“I missed you too” Steve sobs, crying as if he’s in physical pain and his breathing is starting to pick up. Actually, he begins to heave, his breathing is high-pitched and his shoulders begin to shudder.

Bucky’s instantly reminded of the many asthma attacks he witnessed, he’s also reminded of the panic he’d felt the first time he saw Steve lose his breath.

“Steve?” Bucky’s heart is hammering in his chest as Steve is starting to lose his footing. “Stevie.. baby, c’mon, what’s wrong?”

“M-my.. inhaler..” Steve is wheezing and his knees are buckling.

“Shit, Stevie, where is it? Where is your inhaler!”

“T-table”

“Okay, okay, c’mon” Bucky drags him into the apartment, picking him up halfway there as Steve becomes unable to use his legs.

“Shh, Stevie, it’s okay, you’re gonna be okay” he breathes as he quickly lays him down on the couch. He’s not sure if the words are actually meant for Steve, or if he’s trying to calm _himself_ down.

Steve’s wheezing is starting to sound painful and deeper, Bucky grabs the inhaler from the table and pushes it into Steve’s hands and brings it to his mouth with him. Steve inhales, and does it again, and again. His breathing is slowing down, his face is red and his forehead sweaty, but he’s calming. Bucky exhales a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Slow breaths, baby, take it easy” Bucky gently takes the inhaler back from Steve and puts it back where he found it. “I’m sorry, Stevie” he keeps on apologising, though he knows he couldn’t control what happened in the past three years. He still feels it, still feels the pain and guilt and anguish of not seeing his Omega, who he didn’t even claim as his own. The day they were separated, Steve told him he loved him, told Bucky how he really felt. And Bucky felt the exact same way, he loved Steve, _loves_ him. Everything he’s done in the past three years was so he could see his Omega again.

“I love you, Stevie. I did then and I do now. And I’ll always will” he whispers as he draws that thick muscled body into him, it feels so different now. Now that Steve’s grown, bulked up even. He’s evolved without Bucky and it makes him realise that maybe Steve doesn’t need him as much as he needs Steve.

“I love you too” Steve whispers, barely audible, but Bucky hears it; loud and clear. “Alpha..” Steve adds to his statement and Bucky’s nerves are suddenly on fire. Every inch of his skin is burning and it feels as if Steve is leaving blisters on the parts where their bare skin is touching. He’s never felt anything more satisfying in his life.

“Please, Alpha.. make me yours” Steve begs as he clutches Bucky’s jacket, curling his fists around the fabric and pulling himself closer by it. “Mark me, Alpha. Scent me, do whatever you want to me. I can’t lose you again” Steve’s crying, tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes shining and somehow becoming darker by it.

“Steve, I can’t, you never wanted..” Bucky breathes as he tries to focus on any other point than Steve’s bared neck. But he’s craning his head to the side, baring that spot even more for Bucky to sink in his teeth.

“I want you, Alpha. I need you, I need to be yours, I always have” Steve keeps begging, his scent is overwhelming Bucky’s senses as his instincts start to take over. Steve’s scared, he can smell it on him, he’s so afraid of losing Bucky again that he wants him to bite down on that spot, marking Steve as his own, bonding them for all the world to see. He’ll be Bucky’s by nature’s design, his instincts will tell him he wont be able to live without Bucky; it will tell him that he can’t look at another Alpha and feel something. He wants Bucky to do that to him, all because he knows that Bucky wont be able to leave him again. Because bonding works both ways. As soon as Bucky sinks his teeth into that pale skin, flushing the Omega’s scent with his own, creating something new; he’ll never be able to let Steve go. But that wont change a thing. He knew, ever since he was old enough to know, that he loved Steve and he’d never be able to let him out of his sight for too long. The three years he was stuck on that army base, kept prisoner really, he always dreamt of escaping to get back to his Stevie. The Omega was never far from his mind, always in the back of his head; at least. He nearly did escape, once or twice. And got punished for it. But they could never break him. He did terrible things, under duress, being forced to dominate and letting other suffer for his indiscretions. But they never broke him. And that’s exactly why he can’t just mark Steve now. He knows Steve, the Omega never wanted to be bonded. The moment Steve found out his designation, he was adamant about still being his own man, never to be tied down to an Alpha or being told what to do by anyone. That’s just Steve, Omega or not, he is what he is.

“Please, Bucky.. I need to be yours. I know what I said, what I always say..” Steve shakes his head with a grimace. “But it’s been.. hell, without you. A-and I just.. I don’t want to live without you anymore”

“Steve..” Bucky is wide-eyed and losing his focus. His world is overcome by Steve, he’s taken over everything, and he’s _in love_ with him. He’s so fucking in love with him, and he knows he’ll never be able to deny his Stevie anything. Especially not this. “Stevie.. are you sure?” his breathing is heavy and it’s getting harder and harder to hold himself back. He hadn’t even noticed that he’s already leaning forward, nuzzling that beautiful smelling part of Steve’s skin. His lips graze over heat, over pale, soft skin, enveloping muscle and bone and blood.

“Oh Bucky.. yes, damn it, yes, I’m sure. Please.. I know I’m not a good Omega, I know that. But I need you, Bucky..”

Bucky’s heart breaks all over again; same as that day he got ripped away from the man he knew he was meant to be with. Steve thinks he’s not good enough, and it’s Bucky’s fault this time. He thought Bucky left him for good.. and Steve thought it was because of him. No.. No, that’s not fair. That can’t happen. Steve is more than good enough, he’s so much more than good.

“Stevie, don’t; baby, please” Bucky vaguely registers his cheeks feeling wet. “Steve.. fuck, you’ll never fully know what you mean to me. I’ll never be able to explain.. I love you, so much” Bucky nearly chokes on those words. He’s waited three whole years to say them, he never knew if he actually said them the last day he was free. He repeated the words every night in his head, before he went to sleep. Imagining Steve next to him, taking in the words and smiling as Bucky said them.

“I love you so fucking much it hurts. And I just need you to understand that I want you. I want you more than anything. There’s not a second I’m not thinking about you.. Omega”

Steve whimpers, pushes into Bucky, begs him one more time before Bucky finally gives in. Something in him shifts, the Alpha takes over and his teeth are sinking into Steve’s flesh. His heart is racing, he’s tasting Steve in every way possible; he’s breaking the skin and drinking in the few drops of blood that drip from the fresh wound.

“Bucky..” Steve sighs, relieved, elated and completely in love.

“Mh, Stevie, mine. All mine”

Everything blurs, and Bucky only opens his eyes when he’s on top of Steve, his clothes are lost somewhere, as are Steve’s. The front door of the apartment is still wide open, there’s light red smudges on Steve’s shoulder and he can still taste the iron on his lips. But Steve’s presenting for him, on hands and knees on the couch, open and ready and begging to be taken.

“Oh, Stevie, baby; you’re beautiful. You’ve always been so fucking gorgeous. You still are”

Steve whimpers and bites his lip, hard. He’s looking at Bucky with so much want and need in his eyes, no Alpha would be able to resist such a thing. Such a beautiful thing.

Bucky’s acting purely on instinct, he’s harder than he’s ever been and he already feels his knot building up. Now that he can finally speak his mind, finally voice his love for Steve, he doesn’t care about anything else. All he remembers from that first time is what it feels like to finally have Steve to himself, how it felt when he came, and made Steve come with him; how it felt to be inside the love of his life, unable to move away until he was finally able to let go when his knot deflated.

Bucky moves away from Steve slowly, meaning to cover himself and Steve, and close the door. But Steve panics as soon as he feels the weight lifting off him.

“No! No, no no no, Bucky, don’t go. Please!” all colour is drained from his face, he looks as bad as Bucky feels.

“No, Stevie, baby, I promise, I’m not leaving” he pulls his Omega - _his_ Omega- into his arms and holds on tight. They’re sweaty and covered in other bodily fluids, but he doesn’t care. The front door is open, but he just doesn’t care anymore. All he cares about is his Omega, the only one in the whole wide goddamn universe that matters to him, the one person he’ll protect with his own life.

 


	4. Perierat et Inventus est

Bucky is awoken by Natasha after three hours of sleep with a change of shift. She’s calmed Javen down and the Omega is vast asleep with the help of another sedative, curtesy of Dr Banner. After reassuring Natasha that nothing impure happened between those sheets, they switch places and leave Natasha to rest for a few hours. They’re almost through the whole ordeal. Javen has only one more day to go, one more day of excruciating pain, want and need. But she’s not out of the woods yet, and apparently, neither are Steve and Bucky. Before they hear the ruckus, Bucky gets a feeling. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and a shiver makes its way from the base of his spine all the way up to the back of his head.

“Steve. What ever happens, stay behind me” Bucky growls as he goes for his guns, holding both of them just to be sure and makes his way towards the door.

“Wha-..” Steve snaps his mouth shut when he sees his Alpha at the door. Bucky’s entire body’s gone rigid, he’s tense and focussed and Steve’s never seen him like this before. Completely in his element, it seems, protecting his Omega and the Omega he’s contracted to protect.

“Go wake Natasha, Steve” Bucky growls, his voice is low and commanding; Steve doesn’t have to think twice to obey.

It turns out that Natasha is a light sleeper; the moment Steve rushes through the door of the adjoined room, she’s upright in bed.

“What is it?” her voice doesn’t even sound different than usual, as where Bucky’s sounded nice and rough, thick with sleep only an hour ago.

“I don’t know. Something’s wrong” Steve hurries to say and before he can react, Natasha’s already passed him and is at Javen’s side, protecting the Omega with a fierce look in her eyes.

“Sam! What the hell is going on!” Bucky’s calling out to his teammate outside the door, it takes all but a second for the door to fly open when Sam comes stumbling in.

“They’re coming for her” he heaves and looks at Javen, still unconscious on the bed.

“Who is?” Bucky takes a quick look into the hallway, seeing no one, before shutting the door again.

“This is gonna sound ridiculous, but I think it’s the army” Sam looks at Bucky with concerned eyes and confusion.

“Pierce” Bucky growls, Steve’s breathing hitches.

“Pierce? He’s coming for her?” He asks as he takes a few steps backwards towards Javen and Natasha. There’s a sudden change in his eyes, a look that’s nearly as fierce as the look on Natasha’s face.

Bucky quickly explains that Pierce has been trying to stop the developments of a heat-suppressant for Omega’s to keep the hierarchy in order, and that Javen’s the key to such medicine. Apparently Dr Banner tested the medicine on Javen, but seeing as she’s in her heat, it didn’t work.

“She’s being used as a test subject?” Steve looks at Javen, disbelief in his eyes.

“She _chose_ to be a test subject, Steve. She’s not forced to do anything” Natasha whispers as she takes Javen’s hand and squeezes gently. If Steve didn’t know better, he swore he could see that familiar possessive Alpha-glint in her eyes. He wisely shuts his mouth after that.

“Sam, no one comes through this door, you hear me?” Bucky grunts as he yanks said door open and disappears.

“Bucky!” Steve yells and makes for that same door.

“Hey! hey, don’t. He’ll be fine” Sam stops him from taking hold of the doorknob, but Steve wont have any of it. He’s bigger than Sam, and faster too. He makes an evasive manoeuvre and is out the door before Sam even knows what hit him.

“Ah shit” he sighs as he keeps his gun ready and locks the door. “Barnes is gonna kill me”

* * *

“Steve?” Bucky’s jaw drops when he suddenly sees his Omega rush past him with impressive speed.

The moment Bucky escaped through the door with one last look at his Omega, he was met by soldiers and bullets flying past him. Warning shots, really. Otherwise he’d undoubtedly already have a few bullets buried in his body. He’s of course wearing a bulletproof vest, but that doesn’t protect his arms, legs and head. He’s already discarded of his suit-jacket; that thing was more restricting than he could take at the moment. He’d just been ready to fire back, having not received any fire for a few seconds, when Steve came running past him and instantly began to take out the soldiers, one by one. Most of the soldiers were Alpha’s, that much both Steve and Bucky could tell, and they were taken by surprise that an Omega could pack a wallet like this. Though no one was more surprised than Bucky was; he watched for a minute how his Omega KO-ed three soldiers with one punch each, before instantly -flawlessly- moving on to the next available man to stand in his way. His movements were so fluid, incredibly put together and seemingly meticulously planned that Bucky wouldn’t believe it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

“Shit” he cursed when he noticed he was just staring at the fight, and not really doing a thing to help out and Steve had to fight two soldiers at once.

It apparently wasn’t a problem, because when Bucky came to his aid, both Alpha’s were already dealt with.

“Jesus, Steve” Bucky breathed as he joined the fray, “what the hell?”

Steve didn’t need clarification as to what Bucky meant. “I told you about those MMA classes, didn’t I? I could swear I told you..”

Bucky can’t help but smirk at Steve’s mischievous tone, feigned nonchalance dripping from every word as they fight off Alpha’s and Beta’s alike. He’d be angry if Steve had thrown himself into a small army of soldiers just to protect his Alpha, not knowing what he was doing; but it appears it’s the complete opposite. He’s not as good as Bucky, but he’s graceful and efficient. Every move is made with purpose and every muscle is used at the right time in the right place. It’s hypnotising.

“Nat, you still good in there?” Bucky looks like he’s talking to himself, but Steve realises soon enough he’s talking into the earpiece that miraculously is still in its place.

There’s a beat of silence, nothing heard except for the occasional cracking of bones and dull sounds of fists hitting cheeks, when Bucky exhales a relieved grunt while planting his knee in the last standing man’s gut.

“They’re safe” he says as he turns to Steve, who looks like he’s only had a mild workout instead of taking out a group of 30 Alpha’s and Beta’s, easily. “You and I are gonna have a conversation about this” Bucky warns but Steve can see the fondness in his eyes and smiles.

“Yes, Alpha” he happily agrees, he can practically feel how proud Bucky is of him.

“C’mere, my Omega” Bucky growls, the sound coming from deep in his chest as he pulls Steve into his arms and kisses him, hard and filthy. Steve makes a surprised sound in his throat but instantly melts into Bucky’s ministrations. He wraps his arms around his Alpha, trying to hold on to him as long as he can. Unfortunately, Bucky is still on the job; the kiss doesn’t last long.

“I have to go” Bucky whispers when he tears his lips away from Steve’s.

“I’m coming with you, Alpha” Steve breathes, still hazy with Bucky’s hands on him.

Bucky looks at him, really looks at him as if he can see what’s going on in Steve’s head just by peering into his eyes, and nods.

“I’m not gonna be able to tell you no, Alpha or not” he smiles and shakes his head. “And apparently, you can take care of yourself just as well as I can”

Steve’s face falls with that statement, something inside him seems to crack.

“Bucky.. Alpha, no, I didn’t..” he bites his lip, hard, and immediately tastes copper on his tongue.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” Bucky grabs his hand and uses his free hand to thumb Steve’s lip free from his teeth. “Stop that, what’s wrong?”

“I need you, Alpha” Steve croaked out. “I need you, and I just want to help”

“Stevie, baby.. wh-.. I know that. What’s wrong?”

“I- I didn’t mean to.. what happened just now, I..” Steve is stammering and suddenly Bucky realises what’s stressing him.

With Steve displaying that amount of strength, he basically showed that he doesn’t need his Alpha’s protection. That became abundantly clear to Bucky when he saw Steve fight three soldiers at a time. IT hadn’t occurred to him though, that Steve wouldn’t need or want him anymore just because he can take care of himself. Bucky knew damn well that Steve didn’t need -or want- his protection before they bonded. He used to, though. Need it. Even if Bucky wasn’t his Alpha at the time; Steve needed his protection. He got himself into all kinds of trouble when he was just a scrawny little kid with a mouth too big and too honest for his own good. He needed Bucky there to make sure he wouldn’t get beat up- or worse. But Steve has grown; literally. He’s nearly as tall as Bucky, and almost as bulky. And after seeing what he can do with those muscles -those beautiful, delicious muscles- Bucky knows Steve doesn’t need his Alpha to fight his battles for him. Not physically at least. There’s still a lot of things Steve isn’t allowed to do on his own, just because he’s an Omega.

“Bucky- please..” Steve whimpers and curls in on Bucky, who instantly gets a kick from his instincts and wraps his arms tighter around his Omega.

“Shh, baby, it’s okay. You’re a good Omega; you’re always so good for me” Bucky coos gently, hoping to reach his Omega quickly, because there’s a lot they still need to do.

Steve nods, looks up at his Alpha, still looking as if something broke inside of him. He still feels like he embarrassed his Alpha -hurt him- and there’s nothing he can do about it.

“I love you, Buck” Steve whispers, hoping to settle the pit in his stomach, and Bucky settles his hand in his blond hair and pulls lightly.

“I love you too, baby” Bucky smiles. “You’ve done nothing wrong, okay? You were amazing, and I’m actually trying to get my hard-on to leave me alone right now, so please stop being so submissive. It’s too fuckin’ much, Stevie” Bucky jokes, but Steve notices it’s not entirely untrue.  

It pulls a small smile to his lips when he notices the bulge in Bucky’s pants. It’s more than enough to affirm that Bucky really is pleased with him. So he takes a deep breath and feels the panic, that settled within him from pure instinct, die down.

“What do we do now?”

“Well” Bucky sighs, “We’re gonna check if Dr Banner is unharmed, assess the overall damage and see if it’s still safe for Javen to be held here. C’mon”

Bucky pulls away from Steve and makes him follow out of the hallway towards the laboratories and Banner’s office. In the meantime, Bucky checks in with Sam and Logan, getting the all clear and a positive status on Javen.

“Where else would we take her? Every other facility she’s been at is probably already known to Pierce” Steve falls in step with his Alpha, somehow feeling the urge to grab Bucky’s hand but still stay a few inches behind him in submission. He doesn’t act on touching his Alpha, but doesn’t make to walk shoulder to shoulder with him either.

Bucky notices, but doesn’t comment.

Bucky raises his eyebrows, “True. We’d have to use one of SHIELD’s safe houses. Assuming those aren’t compromised as well”

Steve follows Bucky through the large swing doors that lead to the ground floor of the facility. They’re on the lookout for more soldiers, but find none. The laboratory is unharmed, unvisited by government agents even. Which Steve finds strange.

Dr Banner is also unharmed, and was even unaware of the attack until one of Bucky’s team came to him to protect him.

Steve’s been silent while Bucky and Bruce discuss the attack and a new plan of action. He’s looking around the laboratory, shivering with how it reminds him of frequent hospital visits that seem like a lifetime ago.

“Buck..” he mumbles as he’s still looking around, quickly averting his eyes from any tools.

Bucky whips his head around, looking his Omega over to make sure he’s okay -a force of habit, really- and then cocks an eyebrow in question.

“How’d they know where she was?” Steve’s eyes flicker to Bruce, not lingering to avoid offending his Alpha.

“What?” Bucky’s confused for a moment, but the realisation dawns on him even before Steve starts explaining.

“They knew where to go” Steve looks like he’s in deep thought as he speaks, “They went straight for the quarters where Javen’s staying, how’d they know to go there?”

Bucky nods absentmindedly, impressed with his Omega, though not surprised. Steve’s always been smart like that. And he’s got a pretty damn good point here.

“Bruce..” Bucky says, seemingly staring into nothing as he speaks, “How well do you know your staff?”

Bruce kinks an eyebrow, the implication dawning on him. “You think that some one from my staff told Pierce where Javen is?”

“It wasn’t one of mine” Bucky shrugs, “They have no means of communication except for the short range radio. I’m the only one who carries a cellphone”

Bruce scoffs humourlessly and shakes his head. He’s quiet for a moment but breaks the silence with a question that has Steve incredibly on edge.

“How do I know it wasn’t you?”

 

***

 

Bucky doesn’t seem phased by the question and fishes his cellphone out of his pocket. “Go ahead”  he says and hands the phone over to Bruce.

“And don’t even think of accusing my Omega for this, because I instructed him to leave his at home” Bucky adds calmly and looks over to Steve for conformation briefly.

Steve nods instantly, a hard look in his eyes.

Bruce sighs and nods. “Sorry. I’m still gonna have tech take a look at your phone”

“Sure” Bucky shrugs and turns to Steve, giving his Omega a stern look in order to calm him down. Steve is seething, angry because Bucky just risked his life for this man, and Javen, when he has no ties whatsoever to them. This is just his job. Nothing more. And still, he’ll risk everything, and this is what he gets in return. It’s not right.

“Omega” Bucky growls and makes himself somehow taller and broader in front of Steve. “Come here”

It’s an order, a stern one. Strict and anchoring Steve very much so to the present, making him forget about the injustice for only a second. He complies, takes a few demure steps towards his Alpha, until he’s closer than arms length.

“This is normal, okay? This is what happens. And you’ll obey your Alpha, and keep yourself calm”

It’s very rare that Bucky uses this tone on him. Rare, but extremely effective. No other Alpha would’ve ever been able to tame Steve like this; but the fact is: he _wants_ to be good for Bucky, so he is. He let go of those urges to fight the moment the bond was made. The moment Bucky made Steve his.

Steve knows very well that it would never feel as good with anyone else.

“Yes, Alpha” he breathes and pulls a small smile from his Alpha’s lips, which makes Steve smile in return.

“So good for me, Stevie” Bucky murmurs, not minding the other Alpha in the room, at all. It actually feels pretty damn good to show Bruce who Steve belongs to. Bucky knows very well now that Steve _does_ listen to his commands -mostly, when it’s really necessary. He’s still Steve Rogers, impossibly stubborn brat and too good natured for his own good- that Steve is a very desirable Omega. He’s had to fight off Alpha’s before.

“Alpha?” Steve pulls him out of his reverie. Bucky smiles wider.

“I love you, Stevie. Lets go check on Natasha and Javen”

“Okay” Steve’s demure tone sends shivers down Bucky’s spine, and he can tell Bruce is finding it more than pleasing as well. “I love you too, Alpha” Steve adds and glues himself against Bucky’s side, nestling under his arm in an ongoing representation of who exactly he belongs to.

Bruce huffs out a growl, involuntary, so it seems; because he apologises and tells them he’ll have Bucky’s phone back as soon as the end of the day.

Bucky can’t fight the smirk playing his lips, because he is still a little shit and extremely proud of the perfect Omega specimen he can call his own.

“No worries, doc. I’ll see ya later” his smirk fades somewhat. “Up the facilities security while you’re at it. We’ll do the same on our side”

Bruce nods and sends the two a tight smile, trying to control his own urges. Bucky isn’t making it easy when he’s flaunting Steve like that, and he knows it.

Steve rolls his eyes as they walk away but snickers silently when the doors close behind them.

“Did you have to do that?” he asks, smiling, and leaning into Bucky’s touch.

“Do what?” Bucky feigns innocence, horribly, because he can’t fight the smirk that seems permanently etched on his face.

“You know damn well what” Steve laughs and bumps his shoulder against Bucky’s.

Bucky laughs. “Yeah, I do. And yes, I did have to do that. You’re mine, and every damn Alpha, Beta and Omega needs to know that”

* * *

Steve is still dazed by a delightful haze of possessiveness when they get back to Javen’s quarters, but it doesn’t last long. The smell in the room has changed, significantly. Javen’s heat is ebbing away, but her scent has changed as well.

“What. The. Fuck” Bucky growls, he’s tense, muscles coiled and if looks could kill, Natasha would’ve died on the spot.

Javen’s in Natasha’s arms, hiding her face in the Alpha’s neck, showing off a large, clear bonding mark on her neck. Within the hour that Bucky has been gone, fighting off Pierce’s men, Natasha apparently made Javen hers. They’ve known each other for a day, and now they’re bound for life. It’s not unheard of, really. Sometimes there’s a strong connection between Alpha and Omega, that they can’t help but be drawn to each other. It’s probably what should have happened between Steve and Bucky, but they were just too stubborn to admit it.

“Oh no” Steve mouths as he feels his Alpha going even more rigid.

“Romanoff! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” He suddenly explodes and tries to surge forward, but is stopped by Steve, just in time.

Javen cowards away, like the picture perfect Omega should do, instinctively.

Natasha is on her feet with the blink of an eye and takes a defensive and intimidating stance in front of her -newly marked- Omega.

“Stay back, Barnes. You don’t want to get into this with me” she growls. Bucky sees red.

“You think I can’t take you, Romanoff?”

Usually, if Bucky gave it his all, he would be able to take Natasha down. However, now with a newly bonded Omega for her to protect, the odds might be different.

“Alpha. Please, stop” Steve breathes as he pulls Bucky’s arms behind his back, with all the strength he has in him. “Please, Bucky. It’s done, there’s nothing you or anyone else can do!” Steve’s struggling, grunting out pleas to his Alpha while trying to hold him back.

Bucky seems to hear his Omega and stops struggling as much. Natasha is still tense and defensive, standing in front of Javen, ready for a fight.

Bucky jerks around, for a moment looking like he’s going to take his anger out on Steve; but Steve knows his Alpha’s not like that. No matter how angry he is.

“Omega..” Bucky growls, just to taste the title on his tongue, and takes Steve into his arms to calm himself. It’s a bit of a tight embrace, up to the point that Steve finds it a little hard to breathe, but he lets it happen and makes himself as comfortable as possible to accommodate his Alpha.

It takes a while for Bucky to calm down. It takes even longer for Natasha to ease up on the tension. Sam has gone unnoticed until Bucky releases Steve, enabling the Omega to finally take a deep breath.

Sam opens his mouth, but snaps it shut when Bucky holds up his hand.

“Don’t. Wilson” he growls and for a moment Sam’s face distorts as if he’s waiting for a firm reprimand from his boss. “I know you couldn’t help this” Bucky adds, and Sam raises his eyebrows and blinks rapidly, but says nothing.

“Romanoff, however. Could’ve helped it”

“No, I couldn’t” she says and wraps her arms tighter around Javen. “And there’s nothing anyone can do about it now, so lets move the fuck on”

“Fury is not gonna be happy with you” Bucky sighs and wraps his hand around Steve’s wrist. Grounding himself with Steve’s strong pulse.

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes” she shrugs.

For a moment it seems that Bucky isn’t finished with the conversation. Steve knows there’s a lot unsaid when he indulges Natasha, and drops the subject.

“Fine. Call Barton. We need him up here”

Natasha just nods and keeps glaring at everyone, trying to will them to leave. She’s just bonded with her Omega. Some.. things need to happen.

Bucky rolls his eyes and waves a hand towards the bedroom.

“Go in the bedroom and stay there. Both of you”

Natasha hesitates, but knows not to mess with Bucky right now. However powerful she is as an Alpha, the last time she trained with him, it was a tie. Fighting him, even now, would turn ugly and bloody, and it’s in no way a solution to the problems they’re facing. So she takes the high road, and nods, pulling Javen along with her as she disappears into the room and slams the door behind her.

“Goddamn” Bucky sighs and rubs his face with both hands.

_Earlier_

“Javen, shh, it’s okay. You’re okay” Natasha gently whispers as a whine escapes the Omega. She’s waking up and feels like her head is about to explode. Aftermath.

“Alpha..” she moans, Natasha is actually salivating with how much she wants this Omega for herself.

“Natasha” Javen whispers and smiles up at the redhead.

“Hey” Natasha smiles back and brushes a few hairs out of Javen’s eyes. “It’s okay. Your heat has passed”

Javen grunts and sits up. “I know..” she shakes her head and takes in the Alpha sitting on the edge of her bed. “But something else isn’t. What’s happening?”

Natasha forces a smile. “Nothing, everything’s fine”

Javen chuckles, takes a breath. “Look, I know you’re probably a great liar. But no one has ever been able to lie to me since they showed me how the world’s supposed to work. So, spit it out, Natasha”

With raised eyebrows, Natasha huffs out a laugh. “Okay, fine. The facility is being attacked. But Barnes and apparently his Omega, Steve, are taking care of it; along with the rest of the team”

Javen’s face pales. “Attacked? the military, right?”

“Yes” Sam chimes in, but quickly puts his ear back against the door, listening to the fight that’s going down at the end of the hall.

“Shit” Javen breathes and starts to panic. “They’re coming for me. You can’t let them take me, Natasha. We’ll never be able to finish the medicine, we’ll never..” Javen is shushed by Natasha’s lips on hers.

“I wont let anything happen to you, Omega” Natasha whispers against Javen’s lips when the forceful kiss ends. “I promise”

“ _Oh_ ” Javen breathes and surges forward, into Natasha’s arms, lips locked. It’s an endless reverie of kissing, biting and licking. Sam knows better than to watch this unfold and keeps his attention to the door. If some one comes in now, Natasha’s either gonna go into a frenzy or will be to distracted to fight back.

There’s a smell in the air, excitement, fear, possessiveness. Before Sam can even focus completely on what goes on on the other side of the door, he hears Javen make a choked sound. When he turns to see what’s going on, ready to jump in action, it’s already too late. Though it’s not what he expected to find. Given, he expected to find some ninja-like soldier to have gotten in through the window and attack Javen without making a sound, after killing Natasha, which is preposterous of course. Natasha has her teeth buried in Javen’s neck, her bonding spot; Sam doesn’t get it. Beta’s can’t bond with anyone, but the idea is understood amongst them. He’s always been a bit envious of the connection Alpha’s can share with Omega’s. He’s been in love before, sure. He’s had his heart broken. But Alpha and Omega, bonded, they’re inseparable. Not necessarily physically, but.. spiritually maybe? Mentally? Instinctively for sure. Sam’s never had that, and probably never will.

But now he’s presented with a whole new problem. Natasha just bonded with Javen. The Alpha will become hostile when faced with anyone else but her own Omega right now, especially around other Alpha’s. Sam himself is probably OK here, but when Bucky comes back? They might have an issue.

An issue? God, Natasha wont even be the only issue. Bucky’ll be furious.

Shit.

_Present time._

Bucky heaves a sigh and drops himself on the nearest surface, luckily the couch makes for a soft landing. How could Natasha be so reckless? He’s never known her to be so impulsive before. She’s always calm and collected, on top of everything.

He could make such terrible jokes on that thought right now, but he’s really, really not in the mood.

“Stevie, come here, please” he holds out his hand blindly, assuming that Steve is right there with him and will take it. He is, and he does.

“I’m here, Alpha” Steve murmurs as he takes a seat on the edge of the couch, his hands covering Bucky’s.

“Mmh, Stevie, baby” Bucky groans, rubbing his face with his free hand. He feels a migraine coming on; to add to a wonderful day. “Thank you for holding me back”

Steve smiles, squeezes Bucky’s hand. “Of course, Alpha”

“God, I wanna knot you right now, Stevie. I really fucking do”

Sam clears his throat from across the room. “Ah.. still here boss. Where do you want me?”

“Outside” Bucky answers absentmindedly, all of his attention is on his Omega. “Make sure Barton gets here fast, and call in another team”

“You got it, boss” Sam nods, even though he knows Bucky can’t see him and leaves out the door.

“I kinda forgot about him” Bucky mumbles, and pulls a laugh out of Steve.

“I noticed. But, you were saying?” the shit-eating grin Bucky finds on his Omega’s face when he opens his eyes pulls a smile out of him as well.

“I was saying..” Bucky trails off as he pulls Steve closer by his wrist, until his Omega can’t help but climb on top of him before falling over, “I really..” he kisses Steve’s neck, “want” another kiss, “to knot you” another kiss, this one on the sharp line of his jaw, “right now”

Steve starts to squirm, which is not helping Bucky’s situation as his already hard cock is perfectly aligned with Steve’s hips. He’s getting a lot of friction and his Omega doesn’t even seem to notice.

“Mh, Buck.. we can’t do this right now..” Steve tries to be responsible. Tries to make sure Bucky doesn’t get fired by fucking his Omega on the job, but it’s no use. His Alpha is already too far gone to pull back now. And honestly, so is he.

“You wanna get on your knees for me, Stevie?” Bucky breathes, nipping at the skin of his neck, so close to that bonding mark that Steve loves so much. “You wanna make your Alpha feel good?”

Steve’s mind shorts out. What seems like a simple question, is anything but that.

‘Do you want to make your Alpha feel good?’

Yes. Always. He wants nothing else, ever. He wants to make sure Bucky’s comfortable, loved and cared for. Made to feel good by Steve himself, Bucky’s Omega, whether that’s cooking him dinner, massaging his shoulders after a rough day, or sucking his cock when he’s stressed (or any damn time at all, because: if he’s honest with himself; he _loves_ sucking Bucky’s cock)

So Steve graciously rolls off of Bucky and lowers himself on his knees, eye to eye with Bucky’s crotch. His mouth is watering at the thought alone. The thing is, he knows what his Alpha looks like, tastes like and feels like. It’s fucking glorious.

“I want to make you feel good, Alpha” Steve groans and already has unbuttoned Bucky’s dresspants, that hug the man way too beautifully to be fair.

“Mhh, that’s right, Stevie. Go on, baby. I wont knot your mouth, but I just need to..”

Bucky’s words are cut off by Steve’s lips around his cock. He hadn’t even noticed Steve’d already pulled his boxers and pants down. “Ah, god! Fuck” Bucky hisses and groans, his hands instantly finding those ashy blond hairs and take a strong hold of them. Even if he just wants nothing more than to watch his Omega go down on him like there’s nothing else in the world that matters, Bucky can’t help but to throw his head back in pleasure. He settles himself into the welcoming warmth of the couch and revels in the way Steve knows exactly what to do to get him there.

And he’s showing exactly how well he knows this. Steve’s working his Alpha as if it’s the end of times, taking him in as far as he can, his nose nearly touching the short patch of hair at the base of Bucky’s cock, before pulling off and taking a deep breath; after which his tongue swirls around the tip, nearly over-stimulating that incredibly sensitive spot with just a few licks.

“Mh, Stevie, baby, slow down..” Bucky mumbles, looking down at his Omega, only to be met by a mischievous smile. There’s a glint in Steve’s blue eyes that he’s seen before, many times. Defiance. Rebellious, and outright sassing his Alpha without a word, while he has Bucky’s cock in his mouth.

Bucky’s still astounded at how Steve can make him fall in love like that all over again, every damn time.

It’s pretty clear that Steve has no intention of slowing down. Pleasure jolts Bucky’s body as if he’s a puppet and Steve’s holding the strings and is just tugging along merrily.

“Ah, f-fuck. Stevie.. shit, m’gonna cum, baby” Bucky writhes and moans, is bucking his hips up, pushing his cock deeper into Steve’s throat and when he comes it takes him by surprise even though he felt it coming a mile away. He comes hard for what seems like minutes, and Steve swallows it all down like it’s the air he breathes and as if he didn’t just completely defied his Alpha’s command.

Bucky comes down from his high as Steve massages his thighs lovingly and smiles up at his Alpha. Steve’s large hands soothe every ache he has, and didn’t even know he had. It makes him forget he ever had any worries in the first place. Like the good Omega he is, Steve patiently pulls Bucky’s boxers and pants back up without any assistance from his Alpha, as Bucky’s still too dazed to even move. He groans, however, a smile permanently etched on his face and he lets out a breathy chuckle.

“God, Stevie” he mumbles, his eyes half-lidded before he shuts them completely and sighs contently. “I love you so much, baby. You know that, right?” he adds softly and blindly reaches for his Omega’s hand.

Steve bites his lip through his smile and nods even though his Alpha can’t see it. “Yes, I know you love me, Buck. I love you too”

Bucky grumbles something incoherent and chuckles again. “Who knew you’d turn me in such a damn sap”

Steve huffs out a laugh and shakes his head before reaching up and kissing Bucky’s lips. “You’ve always been a sap”

Bucky laughs softly and forces his Omega back on the couch, basically draping Steve’s body all over himself. “Shut up and kiss me some more, Omega”

Steve’s pupils instantly dilate and he does as he’s told.

“When this is over, I’m gonna take a vacation, and we’ll go somewhere together, okay?” Bucky murmurs as he wrestles Steve into the couch next to him, trapping his Omega between himself and the backrest. “Just you and me for a few weeks, somewhere warm; at the beach maybe?”

Steve hums happily and nuzzles his face into Bucky’s chest. “I’d like that, Alpha”

Bucky opens his mouth to play with his spontaneous idea some more, but is cut off by a knock on the door. Instinctually he growls and grabs Steve tighter, protecting his Omega against whatever threat is waiting outside.

“Buck, there’s just some one at the door” Steve soothes Bucky’s worry once again and somehow manages to make him let go and open the door.

“Bruce” Bucky greets as he lets the Alpha in.

The man just nods and hands Bucky his phone. “Sorry about that. I had to be sure”

Bucky nods in return. “Don’t worry about it, I understand”

That’s when Bucky notices some one else is at the door. A Beta; a nervous looking one.

“Who’s this?” Bucky asks, looking from Bruce to the other man behind him.

“This..” Bruce sighs. “Is the leak I was looking for on your phone. He’s apparently been feeding Pierce information for about a year now”

Bucky’s expression turns dark. “You’re sure?” he growls, not taking his eyes of the Beta before him.

Steve’s gotten up and is ready to hold Bucky back whenever he decides to do something he might regret. Like pounce on the trembling Beta and kill him where he stands.

“Yes. A friend of mine tracked the movements of everyone that’s been in the facility for the last year”

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he focussed his attention back on Bruce. “Hold up, this _friend_ tracked movements of thousands of people over the past year, within two hours?”

“Yes, I did”

All gazes fixed on the door, a man in a tailored suit and shaded glasses walked in, seemingly without a care in the world, wearing a smug grin on his face.

“Mr Stark?” Steve looked at the man with raised eyebrows, surprise all over his face.

“Mr Rogers, you look surprised to see me. Though I think I have more of a reason to be just that” the man’s smirk never faltered as he sauntered past Bruce and Bucky -and the Beta, who was trapped between the two Alpha’s- to greet Steve with a firm handshake.

Bucky growled at the sight of contact between the Alpha and his Omega. Protective, possessive; jealous.

“I’m still waiting on those paintings, Mr Rogers”

Steve chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. “You only commissioned them a week ago, sir. It might take a while”

“Steve” Bucky’s firm voice cut through the exchange. Steve’s head snapped up and he looked at his Alpha expectantly. “That’s enough, Omega”

“Yes, Alpha” Steve said tentatively and moved closer to Bucky, so the Alpha could get a possessive touch in and make sure everyone knew whose Omega he is.

Bucky did exactly that. His hand instantly found Steve’s neck and took a firm hold of him, gently brushing the tiny blonde hairs in the Omega’s neck.

Bruce cleared his throat and shook his head in order to clear it. “This is Tony Stark. He’s agreed to help us where ever necessary for as long as we need him”

Tony bowed excessively towards Bucky, a slightly mocking gesture of the Alpha’s possessive tendencies.

Bucky gave Tony a tight smile, to which Tony just smiled wider.

“And how, if I may ask, do you know Steve?” Bucky gritted his teeth, his grip on his Omega tightening. Steve squirmed slightly but tucked himself closer to Bucky.

“I commissioned some paintings from Mr Rogers” Tony answered simply, just waiting for Bucky’s reaction, since he didn’t go through proper channels -which would mean: asking Bucky if he could commission the paintings- and Bucky clearly didn’t know any of this.

“I wanted to tell you, Alpha; but I-..”

“Shh, Stevie” Bucky cooed. “It’s okay, I’m not mad”

Tony hummed considerately at that statement and showed more of a genuine smile. That’s exactly the ind of solidarity he liked to see with Alpha’s.

“So! This unfortunate sucker has been feeding information to your enemy for over a year now” Tony clapped, demanding all the attention to him. “That means, that Javen isn’t safe here”

“How do you know about Javen?” Natasha’s voice suddenly cut in. She stood outside the closed door of the bedroom, Javen was nowhere in sight.

Bucky sighed and felt all the stress Steve -literally- sucked out of him rush back tenfold. “Mr Stark, Dr Banner, meet Javen’s Alpha: Natasha Romanov”

Bruce’s face fell, as did Tony’s. “Her what?” they asked in unison, looking from Bucky to Natasha and back.

“This one is on you, Romanoff. Have fun explaining this one” Bucky grumbled as he stepped even closer to his Omega.

Natasha rolled her eyes and began to explain, getting support from her newly-bonded Omega when things got a little heated between her and Bruce. After reasoning that Javen was free to choose whoever she wanted to be with, and if they really stood for Omega rights, they were to understand and respect that, both Alpha’s wisely kept their mouths shut. It didn’t come as a surprise that Javen and Tony were friendly towards each other, after Bruce explained that Tony actually spent a lot of time in the facility, helping to develop heat-control medication in every way he could. Which also didn’t come as a surprise, as Tony was a vocally active Omega-rights supporter, and one of Pierce’s headaches on a daily basis.

Instinctively Bucky wanted to keep the man at a safe distance, especially from Steve; but realistically he knew he would get along with the genius billionaire just fine.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way” Tony grumbled but quickly regained his wits, “it’s time for our next move. If I may suggest that move is actually _moving_ this operation, to say.. my super-secure, technologically top notch outfitted, and incredibly tasteful penthouse?”

The room stayed quiet until Bucky spoke up. “If your sure about your top-notch security, Stark, I think that’ll do just fine. I’ll let my boss know what we’re up to and we have another team member coming, so we’ll have to wait for him”

“Wait no more!” Barton’s voice chimed from the doorway. “Party has arrived. Though, I see there’s one hell of a party already gone on around here”

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Good to see you too, Barton. Call Fury and tell him what’s going on, will you? _Don’t tell anyone_ _else_ and tell him to do the same”

“You got it” Clint nodded and went off to make the call in the hallway.

Steve stared at the man until he was out of sight, lips slightly parted in shock. Bucky cocked an eyebrow at him, silently questioning what was wrong, until he realised that his team was used to the huge sniper-rifle which was permanently etched to the Alpha’s back, but Steve definitely wasn’t.

“He’s our sniper, baby. You’ll get used to it” Bucky whispered with a smirk, but dropped the expression when he saw the look on his Omega’s face.

“Seriously? You never told me that your job called for a _sniper_? Or the use of guns _that_ fucking big! Or the fact that you need to stand up to small armies, for that matter. This is the last goddamn drop, James! I know you’re great with hand-to-hand combat, I’ve seen you train; but fucking _snipers_?!”

Alpha or not, Bucky knew he was in trouble.

“Stevie, doll, we’ll talk about this later” he tried to shush his Omega, but to no avail.

“Don’t you _doll_ me! _You lied to me_! You said this job wasn’t that dangerous! After everything that happened when you came back, you would _still_ lie to me about something like this?!”

Bucky felt his world shift an the ground move underneath his feet. Steve’d only used this tone on him once before; when he came back after all those years without contact and nearly lost sight of his Omega again when he thought it best to leave, before Steve stopped him.

“Stevie, please.. I just didn’t want you to worry, we’ve never needed Clint as a sniper before. He usually just rolls with the team for extra security. _Really_ , this is the first time”

Bucky forgot all about keeping up appearances in his role as an Alpha; he was pleading with his Omega, begging him with his tone to please believe him, ready to drop to his knees if necessary. The other Alpha’s in the room watched with shock and interest at the display of the perfect Alpha, nearly crawling at his Omega’s feet. They couldn’t help but stand just a tad taller at the sight of such weakness, pure instinct at the sight of a powerful Alpha gravelling.

Steve, however, took notice and decided to swallow his pride and anger, to save face for Bucky. Though, he and Bucky both knew, this was far from over.

“I’m sorry, Alpha” he made himself as small as possible, bowing his head, looking up at Bucky through his lashes. “It’s not my place” he continued, and decided to up the ante when he noticed Bucky still looking like a lost puppy. He did what every Omega would do when expecting punishment or reprimand; he lowered himself to his knees and sat at his Alpha’s feet, obediently awaiting orders.

The entire room could hear Bucky’s heart shatter at the sight.

 

***

 

“When a client hires us, they expect professionalism. Sure, they also expect devotion and maybe us to go a little further than door to door protection” Fury paces back and forth calmly, intimidatingly so.

He summoned Natasha and Bucky, for what would undoubtedly entailed a firm talking to and maybe even suspension. He wasn’t all too happy when they told him they weren’t available, and if he needed them, they could be found at the Stark tower. So, here they were. In an office provided by Tony Stark, while Javen and Steve waited in the lavishly-modern furnished living room, along with Bruce, while Clint was somewhere up high, scoping the area around the tower. He wasn’t too happy about being in the middle of Manhattan. Too busy, a lot of people to watch, and too many for hostiles to hide amongst. Though, he had to admit, the tower’s defences and security were impeccable. No one even made it up the steps way down below him, before being stopped and asked to identify themselves by one of the huge men Tony has on his security staff.

Bucky and Natasha are standing at attention, hands behind their backs like the good soldiers they are, both having served before; both for different reasons. Both unwillingly.

But when addressed in a tone of reprimand the way Fury is doing now, they can’t help themselves.

“What they don’t expect, or wish from us, is the target being bonded for life with one of my goddamn employees!”

And there it was. The yelling. It wasn’t yelling as much as it was a raise of his voice, but Fury was all the more frighting like this.

“What do you have to say for yourself, Romanoff?” Fury’s voice took on that cold, calm tone again; even more frightening.

“With all due respect, director; I couldn’t help it” Natasha drums up with a stoic expression that matches her voice.

“You couldn’t help it” Fury repeats and shakes his head. “And you?” he looks to Bucky. “You could’ve helped it. Where the hell were you, Barnes?”

Bucky doesn’t change his stance or even twitches. “I was securing the compound, director”

“Right. With your Omega. Where does your Omega get his qualifications to fight? Did I hire him without noticing? Or did I just forget..” Fury puts a little, just enough, of that mocking tone into his words to make Bucky want to cringe and defend his Omega. But he keeps a tight lid on it.

“I brought him in to help with Javen, the target, director. He was useful and lightened her stress. I wasn’t aware of his abilities in combat”

Bucky knows that sounds bad. He knows it’ll make him look like he doesn’t have his Omega under control, but they’re not here to question those abilities right now. And he knows that Fury doesn’t care about that at all.

“You didn’t know. Well then” Fury sighs and takes a seat behind the enormous wooden desk that seems too expensive for such a brass man. It could almost be funny if they weren’t in so much trouble.

“You both know I can’t fire you. You’re too valuable and it would surely scare our clients off when they hear of it. So, as of now, you are suspended Romanoff”

Natasha’s face falls in the slightest, anyone who isn’t trained to catch those signs, wouldn’t have even caught it.

“Barnes. You finish this assignment, and after that you are also suspended”

Bucky makes sure he doesn’t show his own disappointment and anger. “Yes, director”

“Your suspension will stand up to your ‘vacation’, and we’ll see after that” he turns to Natasha. “Yours will be overseen and I’ll get back to you”

“Yes, director” she answers.

“Now get out of here, you’re off this assignment”

This time Natasha can’t hide her expression, which says a lot because she’s a goddamn champion at that, and she snarls. “I’m not leaving”

“Excuse me?” Fury rises to his feet and snarls back at her. _Two Alpha’s about to go at it, great._

“I’m not leaving my Omega” she says, threatening.

Fury seems to want to go at it with her, but changes his mind. He relaxes and if Bucky didn’t know any better, he’d say there’s something of understanding showing in his features.

“For this once, I’ll make an exception, Romanoff. And only because of your impeccable record with Shield. _Don’t_ think I’ll make a habit out of this”

Natasha grits her teeth, “Thank you, director” she bites out the gratitude and turns on her heel, leaving without having permission to do so. She’s suspended after all, doesn’t really matter now.

“Barnes, tell me you don’t plan on making this mess even worse”

It’s a plea and an order, and when Bucky thinks about it, it really is a mess. He understands.

“I’m not, Nick. I apologise; this wasn’t what I expected to happen” Bucky relaxes in his stance, hopes to be able to ease his boss’s mind.

Fury sighs and waves him off, “Get outta here before I come up with other ways than suspension to make sure this doesn’t happen again”

Bucky nods and leaves, closing the door behind him. He heaves a sigh of his own and can’t help but long for his Omega close to him. It leaves him frustrated and a bit angry, knowing he wont have to count on that any time soon. Steve’s more than cross with him at the moment, and when he’s angry.. well, it takes a village and the rest of the world to get him to come around.

It’s a big part of the reason why Bucky loves him so much. He’s strong, so strong; and undeniably stubborn. This fact has already got Bucky thinking of ways to make it up to him; but he comes up empty.

Everybody gets to their feet when Bucky enters the living room -Tony isn’t there, he did say something about having some business to attend to- and looks at him with questionmarks in their eyes. Steve included. There’s also concern in his eyes, though it’s nearly drowned out by the betrayal he obviously still feels. Bucky feels his chest tighten in the most uncomfortable way, and tries his hardest to shake it off. But he can’t. Especially when Steve seems to gather himself and walks over to him, small and letting his pride drip away with every step he takes.

“Alpha” he says with the smallest of voices he can conjure up. It’s not an act; no, it’s in his nature to be submissive like this. That knowledge makes it all the more difficult; to see his Stevie give in to those urges. Instincts he’s fought all his life, successfully, because he believed he didn’t _belong_ to anyone. And he doesn’t. Sure, he’s bound to Bucky for life, the bonding mark on his neck represents as much. He’ll never be able to leave his Alpha for long; there are Omega’s that have tried, and it never turned out well for them.

“Stevie” Bucky whispers so no one else can hear him, a tone of voice that’s only meant for him, the love of his life. He hopes to reach him this way, hopes to tell him this way to please forgive him.

He doesn’t. Not yet. Though there is a gleam in those baby blues that say ‘I love you, I’ll always love you, but I’m incredibly pissed at you right now’. Bucky’s not sure how he can read all of this just from a look in his Omega’s eyes, but he can. And it’ll have to do for now.

“It’s fine, Omega. Nothing for you to worry about”

Steve seems surprised to hear the ‘Alpha’ in Bucky’s tone. It’s not harsh, but it’s clear.

Natasha’s at Javen’s side, or it’s the other way around, Bucky’s not sure. But they’re together and that wont change any time soon. Such a fresh bond is impossible to even try to separate; they wont want to leave each other for the next couple of weeks.

It can be used to an advantage, however. Natasha is, along with Bucky, a teamleader and an impeccable fighter. If she’s at Javen’s side 24/7, it gives the rest of his team a lot more opportunity’s to amplify protection. They could even separately protect Dr Banner. It’s a thought Bucky had on the way over to the Stark tower. If Pierce is so interested in Javen, and he’s been fed information for so long, he’ll think of other ways to stop the developments of the heat-suppressants. Which would logically be, either kill or otherwise incapacitate Dr Banner.

So. New plan.

“Alright, listen up” Bucky takes on his role as teamleader and instantly has the room. Sam comes from out of the hallway, being his second in command and knowing he has to pass on all the information he gets to the rest of the team. “This is how it’s gonna work. Natasha, you and Javen are not to leave the premises until further notice, or until this assignment is completed”

Natasha nods, Javen just stays quiet, but seems content with the order.

“Dr Banner, that goes for you too. If Pierce can’t get to Javen, you’re the next best thing. You will be under constant protection from Sam and Logan until further notice”

Bruce didn’t seem as excited.

“I can’t stay here. I have work to do, I can’t just stop everything, we’re so close! If this doesn’t get developed soon, Pierce will have all the more chance to stop it”

Bucky’s about to tell him he’ll have to figure some shit out, because no one’s gonna get ‘incapacitated’ in any way on his watch, but Tony comes up in the elevator and interrupts him.

“Luckily I have a fully furbished laboratory a few floors down, Bruce. You know that. You can work in private there, with all your bodyguards” Tony smirks at Sam and claps him on the shoulder.

“I-..” Bruce sighs. “Thank you, Tony”

“Not a problem” Tony quips cheerfully. “Do your thing, get down and dirty and whatnot. I’ll join you soon. For the science stuff, not the down and dirty stuff, no offence”

Everyone but Bruce seems confused by Tony’s ramble, but Bucky doesn’t have time to figure it out.

“Sam, take Logan and go with him, scope the floor, _all of it_ , and make sure every entrance and exit is secured”

“You got it, boss” Sam answers and motions for Bruce to lead the way.

“Mr Stark-..”

“Please, call me Tony” Tony interrupts him with a smug smile.

“ _Tony_ ; are there any security protocols we need to know about?” Bucky ignores the attitude, already knowing it’s something that comes with the territory in dealing with Tony Stark.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, no. Though the guy on the roof had some of my security going nuts, but I took care of it”

“Alright, thank you” Bucky nods, “Do you have a room for Natasha and Javen to stay?”

Tony snorts, smug, “What do you take me for? Of course. Right this way, ladies”

Bucky stifles a sigh, and lets them go, watching them disappear down the hall before hearing a door open and close. Tony comes back and nods, a bit more serious this time and takes his leave with the notion of letting his staff know to steer clear of the lab and the top floor where they are now. He also points out another room, across from Natasha’s, where he and Steve can stay and sleep, or just freshen up if need be.

Bucky is now left with Steve -and Fury, still occupying Tony’s office- who’s still at his side, obedient and awaiting orders.

“Stevie-..”

For a moment there’s that glimpse of defiance Bucky loves so much, but it disappears just as quickly as it appears.

“Anything I can do for you, Alpha?”

God, the tone of his voice. It’s emotionless, but somehow still layered with betrayal. How he does it, Bucky will never know; but it strikes a new nerve within him. He can’t have this right now, not when this assignment has gotten so much more complicated.

“Yes. As a matter of fact there is” Bucky growls, he’s not sure if he’s completely in control or if these are his instincts taking over. But as long as he’s aware of what he’s doing, it should be fine.

“I want you to listen to me, Omega. And listen very carefully”

Steve’s eyes grow large, the blue of his irises nearly entirely swallowed up by his dilated pupils.

“I’ve told you the truth; this is by far the most dangerous assignment I’ve been on yet, and this is the first time I’ve ever set Clint out as sniper. And he’s not even allowed to take off the damn safety without my say so”

Lips parted and eyes glazed over, Steve listens to his Alpha, speaking to him in _that_ tone of voice. The tone of voice that speaks to his instincts, the tone of voice Bucky usually never uses, outside of the bedroom.

“Whether you believe it or not, this _job_ isn’t that dangerous. This goddamn assignment is. So drop it”

Steve’s breathing heavily and nods, his body reacting before his mind can catch up. “Yes, Alpha” he mumbles, blissed out and ready to do whatever his Alpha asks of him. Anything.

“Very good, my Omega” Bucky makes sure he levels his voice and chooses his words carefully. This is the only way he now knows how to get Steve to be himself again. Or so he hopes. “You’re good, baby; you’re so good for me”

“Alpha..” Steve outright _moans_ ; needy and so, _so_ turned on.

“Shh, Stevie. I know what you need. We just have to wait for the rest of the team to show up, then I’ll give it to you. Okay?” Bucky takes a gentle but firm hold of Steve’s neck and squeezes gently. A grounding gesture, telling him to hold on for a little while longer with words and physical contact.

“Yes, Alpha” Steve breathes and goes slack under his Alpha’s touch. And there’s that defiant hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth; something rebellious and maybe even wicked. “You still have to make it up to me” he sighs.

Bucky raises his eyebrows, amused, and considers punishing his Omega for disobedience; but decides against it. This is the Steve he knows and loves, the Omega he wanted to see instead of the submissive representation of his lover that he got to see.

“I will, doll. I promise” Bucky whispers, brushing his lips against Steve’s jaw before planting a few kisses there before he claims his Omega’s mouth. “I’m gonna get my knot so far up your ass you’ll be able to taste it, baby”

The words come out before Bucky even notices, a low growl passing his lips involuntarily, but effectively. Steve whines and tries to pounce on Bucky, but is stopped by an iron grip on his neck by Bucky’s right hand and the other on his hip.

“ _Oh_..” Steve moans and goes pliant against Bucky’s chest, though still trying to lean in as much as possible while he’s being held completely still. “Alpha.. need you.. need your knot..” he breathes, his eyes screwing shut as if he doesn’t need his vision anymore now that he’s in Bucky’s complete control.

“I know you do, baby. You’ll get it, soon” Bucky grins, happy with how this turned out and incredibly proud of his Omega when he notices how his body’s reacting. Steve’s cock is rock hard behind his jeans, his muscles are twitching and trembling and he can _smell_ the wetness forming around his tight hole. He’s ready to go, and no doubt feels absolutely tormented by the fact that he has to wait.

“Please..” Steve whines, tries to shove his hips forward against Bucky’s to gain some friction to his aching cock, and probably to get Bucky to give in; it’d be the biggest lie he’d ever told if Bucky were to say he wasn’t hard as a goddamn rock himself.

But as the Alpha, he has to be in control; not only of his Omega -a public demand which he usually ignores- but of himself as well.

“Shh, Stevie, baby. I told you, _soon_. Now, get that pretty ass into our room, and lay on the bed for me. The team should be here shortly. I can’t have any other Alpha’s see you like this”

He’s serious about that. Any other Alpha sees his Omega so prettily obeying his every order; so needy for a knot -though not just _a_ knot, but _Bucky’s_ knot- they might not be able to control themselves.

“Yes, Alpha” Steve purrs, still having some control of his actions, because he knows the look he’s giving Bucky is driving his Alpha insane.

“Good boy” Bucky purrs right back -that little brat is gonna get what’s coming to him- knowing the words are hitting the right spot when Steve moans again and doesn’t seem to know how quickly to follow the orders given to him.

Just in time too, because as soon as Steve closes the door behind him, the elevator indicates it’s arrival and the rest of his team steps into the room.

“Boys, so good you all could make it so soon” Bucky smirks.

This is one team he can rely on, other than the men he already has walking around the tower. Morita, Dum Dum, Gabe, James and Dernier are men who’d go through hell and back for Bucky, and he’d do the same for them. Time is of the essence at the moment and he only has time for a brief greeting before sending them on their way. He sends Dernier and Gabe down to the lab to support Sam and Logan, and makes James, Dum Dum and Morita stay on this floor and lets them know where the target is located.

“Choose your vantage points, and make sure this floor is secured at all times. Same goes for the lab” Bucky orders and is met with half-assed salutes but determined gazes.

He wouldn’t have expected anything different.

“I’ll be across the hall from Romanoff. Steve’s here, so only disturb us when it’s absolutely necessary. We’ll come out when we’re ready and we’ll re-assess the situation and see where we go from there”

That statement is met by blinding smirks from his men; Bucky just scoffs and waves them off with the venom-less threat to put them all on mission-report duty if they don’t get their asses to their posts immediately.

When he enters the room, he’s met by the most beautiful sight he’ll ever see. He’s sure Steve’s never looked as beautiful as he does now, but has a certainty in his mind that he’ll think that every time he sees his Omega like this.

Steve’s sprawled out on the bed -kingsize, just how they like it- naked, cock hard and desperately waiting for attention.

He’s probably already soaked through the top layer of the sheets by now, the scent of his Omega’s slick hits Bucky hard and he _knows_ he wont be able to deny his Stevie what he needs.

Not that he was planning on that in the first place.

“Oh baby.. you’re so goddamn pretty” Bucky mumbles absentmindedly, quickly taking off the top layers of clothing he can discard easily.

In the back of his mind he has the uplifting thought that when he’s taken care of Steve, he can change back into his combat gear like the rest of his team. The suit has _got_ to go.

Steve keens at the praise and bites his lower lip, trying -and succeeding- to be even more seductive for his Alpha.

“m’Gonna make you beg for me, Stevie” Bucky growls as he takes his harness off and drops it, and the guns in it, to the floor.

“Please..” Steve whines and thrusts his hips into the air as if he’s trying to rut up against something that isn’t there.

His demeanour changes instantly, though; and that lovely, wicked shine is back in his eyes.

_“Come and get me, Alpha”_


End file.
